Ninety-six year-old social activist Dr. Babasaheb Pandurang Adhav alias Baba Adhav broke his three-day fast undertaken to oppose the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray appealed to him to end his agitation, on Saturday evening,.
On a day when State NCP (SP) President Jayant R. Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and NCP (AP) chief Ajit Pawar also met him and enquired about his health, Dr Baba Adhave drank a glass of water given by Uddhav and ended his fast at 5 pm.
Earlier, talking to media persons, Baba Adhav had said the voting figures were manipulated to give advantage to the BJP-led MahaYuti which win a landslide victory over the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the recent Maharashtra Assembly polls.
“The Assembly poll verdict is an assault on democracy… There were huge discrepancies in the voter turnout figures declared by the Election Commission of India (ECI), The vote-counting process was manipulated to give undue advantage to the outgoing MahaYuti, “
Lauding Baba Adhav for undertaking a fast against EVMs at such an advanced age, Uddhav said that the veteran social activist’s agitation had inspired the Opposition parties as well the people across the stae.
Alleging that large-scale manipulations were carried out to ensure the victory of the MahaYut, Uddhav said: “No one --- neither the winners nor the losers -- believes the outcome of the state Assembly polls. We are stunned how we lost, while the ruling alliance leaders are shocked at how they won. The reason is clear. ‘Satyameve Jayate’ was killed, but now you (Dr. Baba Adha) have revived it and we are fully with him” .
The SS (UBT) ex-CM said this agitation was like a spark but it would ignite into a huge blaze, and lauded Dr. Baba Adhav for carrying out the agitation at his advanced age and “inspiring all of us” to continue the fight.
“We have also seen and heard how money power was brutally used in the polls… All have watched the videos of (Bharatiya Janata Party) leader Vinod Tawde (in Palghar, on Nov 19). We have seen the shower of schemes. But what the MahaYuti did was to give anesthesia to all its projects to complete its ‘power operation’ quickly,” said Thackeray without mincing words.
Uddhav also urged leaders of the MBA -- comprising (SP)-SS (UBT)-Congress top leaders to follow in Dr. Baba Adhav’s footsteps, and continue agitation against EVMs.
Lamenting that the information on elections was not available under RTI, Uddhav said how people’s rights were being flouted “While the EVM-VVPAT receipt is visible, counting of the same is not allowed. This is preventing the e people and candidates from knowing whether their vote got registered properly or not, leading to many doubts.
Dwelling upon the delay in the government formation in the state, Uddhv said: “Even after getting a brute majority, the chief minister has gone to his farm land, instead of going to Raj Bhavan…There is something that is definitely wrong".
“When the MVA government was due to be formed in November 2019, the President’s rule was imposed… Now,in 20-24, the term of the legislature has expired. We would like to know why the President's rule has not been imposed now.