Ahmedabad: India's
technology guru Sam Pitroda on Monday slammed the Bharatiya
Janata Party for highlighting non- issues in the forthcoming
general elections. "A country of billion people should be
focused on priorities of the nation going forward and not
petty politics. This is petty politics," Pitroda told a
news conference here. Pitroda, who worked closely with former
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, joined the Congress party last
moonth. Pitroda, who lives in Chicago, said he felt "morally
bound" to speak up when he heard of the BJP's opposition
to Rajiv's widow Italy-born Sonia Gandhi. The BJP has been
campaigning on the issue of foreign origin of Sonia, saying
she cannot hold the top post in the country.
Pitroda
had worked in Rajiv Gandhi's government as telecom secretary
and was also head of the Technology Missions. He has been
campaigning for Rajiv's son, Rahul Gandhi, Congress candidate
from Amethi and seen as the heir-apparent to the famous
Gandhi-Nehru dynasty, the first political family of India.
Pitroda, who preaches the virtues of technology with almost
evangelical zeal, says he had decided to take an active
interest in the general elections because he felt the future
of India, especially its youth, lay with the Congress party.
Stampede
over poll gift: 21 women killed in Lucknow (Go
To Top)
Lucknow/New
Delhi: Twenty-one women were killed in a stampede in
Lucknow on Monday when officials began giving out free sarees
to celebrate a politician's birthday. Hundreds of people
had gathered in a park here for the birthday celebrations
of senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon, when officials announced
the sarees would be given away. Eyewitnesses said people
had rushed to get their sarees first when the mishap took
place. "We were standing here. The women were assembled
here to take the sarees. Then someone from the backside
said the distribution will be from the other side. Women
started running here and there and it resulted in stampede,"
said one, Ram Sharan. About 5,000 people had crammed into
the small park, which was fenced and covered by a tent.
The injured have been admitted to various hospitals. Tandon,
a close associate of Vajpayee, holds his birthday rally
every year. He is currently campaigning for the BJP.
Meanwhile,
the Opposition parties have attacked the BJP accusing it
of violating the election code of conduct by distributing
clothes. "The BJP leaders have violated the election code
of conduct. They invited the women here to lure them with
sarees. And their motive was to ask for vote," said Ravi
Vas Mehrotra, Lucknow city head of Samajwadi Party. Congress
party leader Anand Sharma called the incident shameful.
"It was very unfortunate that the Prime Minister's close
associate distributed sarees in order to lure poor women,
to vote for them in his constituency. It is shameful," Sharma
told reporters in New Delhi. In india politicians commonly
give away food, liquor, blankets and other gifts during
election time to attract crowds and win votes.
EC
asks UP Chief Secy to file report (Go
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Lucknow:
The Election Commission has sought immediately a detailed
report from the Uttar Pradesh Government on distribution
of sarees at a function in Lucknow on Monday on the occasion
of senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon's birthday. Addressing
a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishnamurthy
said he has asked chief secretary VK Diwan to immediately
furnish a report on the programme. After studying the report
an appropriate decision will be taken, the CEC said when
asked whether the programme violated the model code of conduct.
