Latest news with #M.Lakshmana
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Counter protest: Congress targets pro-BJP college managements for allowing students to participate in ABVP rally
Youth Congress workers held a counter protest in Mysuru on Tuesday to condemn the efforts of ABVP to allegedly instill negative sentiments about the Congress among students under the guise of its 'drug-free campus' campaign. KPCC spokesperson M. Lakshmana told reporters at the counter protest organised by Youth Congress activists in Mysuru that the Congress party will be forced to hold demonstrations outside the institutions of certain pro-BJP managements, which were allowing its students to participate in programmes organised by the BJP and its frontal organisations. Mr. Lakshmana said that he will lodge a complaint with the police to file cases against the managements of such institutions, and urged the government to withdraw the recognition of these educational institutions for 'allowing the students to be misused for political purposes'. He alleged that the speeches made by the leaders of the BJP and its frontal organisations at the demonstration organised by ABVP as part of its 'drug-free campus' campaign at Gun House circle in Mysuru on Tuesday were aimed at instilling negative sentiments about the Congress party and Muslims in the minds of the students. The aim of the demonstration organised by the ABVP was to defame the Congress government in Karnataka, Mr. Lakshmana said. Moreover, he stated that the narcotic drugs seized in Mysuru recently were part of a racket that had its roots in Gujarat and Maharashtra, which are ruled by the BJP. Claiming that drugs worth ₹25,000 crore had been seized in BJP-ruled States during the last ten years, Mr. Lakshmana blamed the Maharashtra police and the anti-narcotics sleuths of the Centre for providing 'wrong' information regarding the raid in Mysuru by exaggerating the worth of the seizure only to defame the Congress government in Karnataka. Seeking to clarify that the narcotic drugs seized in Mysuru was not MDMA, but Mephedrone weighing about 20 kg, Mr. Lakshmana said a that kilogram of Mephedrone costs about ₹20 lakh. Hence, the total seizure is worth ₹4 crore and not ₹400 crore as alleged, he added. While the drugs seized in Mysuru were part of a drug racket that had its roots in Gujarat and Maharashtra, the Mysuru City Police had done a good job by raiding the premises along with a team of police from Mumbai, he said.
The Hindu
06-08-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress alleges rigging by BJP during 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Mysuru
KPCC spokesperson M. Lakshmana has alleged rigging and EVM manipulation by the BJP in the Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency during the elections in 2024. Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Mr. Lakshmana, who was the Congress candidate during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Mysuru constituency, alleged rigging and EVM manipulation by the BJP in 292 booths out of the total 2,202 booths in the constituency. During the post-poll assessment, he had suspected electoral malpractices by the BJP in 292 booths that were spread across Chamaraja, Krishnaraja, Madikeri and Virajpet assembly segments, Mr. Lakshmana said. Out of the total 1,45,616 votes in these 292 booths, Mr. Lakshmana claimed he had secured only 27,522 votes, while the BJP polled 1,18,094 votes. Contending that the Congress had secured at least 40 to 45% of votes in these constituencies during the previous Assembly elections in 2018 and 2023 as well as the Lok Sabha elections of 2019, Mr. Lakshmana said the dismal number of votes polled by Congress in these specific 292 booths gives room for suspicion. In one case, Mr. Lakshmana said the number of votes counted by the EVM were 750, when only 700 people had caste their votes. 'From where did the excess 50 votes come?', he asked. Citing another example, Mr. Lakshmana said that one booth having 750 votes had shown that only 7 votes were cast in his favour, even though there were 15 families of Congressmen residing in the jurisdiction. He also cited the case of a booth in Narasimharaja assembly constituency, where the BJP, which could not poll a single vote, had secured 200 votes. He said the alleged rigging and EVM manipulation will be made part of the complaint to be submitted to the Election Commission during a protest to be led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday, August 8.
