UP records 49.3% polling in by-elections; exit polls predict BJP to win maximum seats
An estimated 49.3% of the 34.35 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the by-elections for the nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that the violence that occurred in the state during Friday hartal called by the Popular Front of India (PFI) was pre-planned, which was executed after thorough planning.
Speaking to media persons here, Chief Minister Vijayan said the violence was a part of proper planning but police took effective measures to contain the situation, dismissing the opposition’s allegation of police inaction.
“Police took commendable measures to counter the violence. They arrested some of the culprits on Friday itself. Others will also be caught and brought to book without any delay,” he said.
Earlier, opposition leader VD Satheesan had questioned the silence of Chief Minister Vijayan on the widespread violence during the hartal accused the police of failing to control the violence in the state.
Former Union Minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar, also the party’s in-charge for Kerala, said the LDF government in the state cannot absolve itself of the responsibility of the incidents of violence that took place during the PFI hartal on Friday.
Talking to media persons here, Javadekar said that the PFI and the Left parties are equally responsible for the violence on the hartal day.
“The PFI offices in other states were also raided. Its leaders were arrested from other states too but hartal and violence happened only in Kerala. Why was it so,” Javadekar asked.
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