Puducherry's future now in hands of people: Kiran Bedi after being removed as Lt-Gov

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday afternoon filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission regarding a delay in publishing the leads and results of the Haryana poll. In a brief letter the opposition party said that between 9 and 11 am there was "an unexplained slowdown in updating of results".

"As you can imagine this allows bad faith actors to spin out narratives that undermine the process. You can see examples of it already playing out on social media. Our fear is also that such narratives can then be used by these mala fide actors to influence processes where counting is still underway, i.e., in most of the counting centres," the Congress told the Election Commission.

"We request you to issue immediate directions to your officials to update the website with true and accurate figures, so that false news and malicious narratives can be countered immediately."

Minutes earlier the Congress' Jairam Ramesh said, "... we hope the Election Commission will answer our questions. The results of 10-11 rounds are out... but only four to five rounds are updated on the site." He also flagged those "trying to build pressure by sharing outdated and misleading trends..."

The Congress had raced into an early lead in Haryana as postal votes were counted, only for the BJP to stage a thrilling comeback late morning as ballots were opened. The ruling party then raced into a lead of its own, which it has held since; at noon the BJP held 48 seats - two over the majority mark.

Early celebrations at the Congress' Delhi HQ ground to a halt as the party - which is set to win the first Jammu and Kashmir election in a decade - contemplated a third straight defeat in Haryana.

The party's senior leader in the state - Kumari Selja, who is also in the Congress' chief ministerial race - told NDTV the Election Commission will "have to answer" the question posed.

 "Why is the counting going slowly? It was fine during the Lok Sabha election... so why is the counting going slowly now? It is the responsibility of the EC to tell the world why counting has slowed," she said.

Mr Ramesh, however, insisted the party remains confident.

"There is no need to be disheartened..." he told ANI, "Mind games are being played. There is no need to be disheartened. We are going to get the mandate. Congress will form the government."

The BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi responded swiftly, declaring the complaining meant the Congress had "accepted defeat". "If Congress has started pointing fingers at Election Commission then we should understand they have accepted defeat..." he told reporters, "Per current trends I feel we are moving to an important win and Congress has started taking precautionary measures for future defeat."

The Congress had made similar complaints in June, when votes were being counted for the general election. Then Mr Ramesh implied the poll panel may have received "orders" to slow down counting.

In that case he had flagged apparent delays in publishing results for seats in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which account for over 120 seats between them and in which the ruling BJP (and its ally, the Janata Dal United) was facing a tough challenge from the Congress-led INDIA bloc and its allies. 

Jeddah: The Khaja Banda Nawaz College of Engineering Alumni Jeddah Chapter hosted its Annual Event 2024, bringing together a diverse group of alumni from the esteemed KBN College of Engineering, Gulbarga.

The event featured Engr. Mohammed Abdul Nayeem, General Manager of MASAH Specialized Construction Company, as the Chief Guest, alongside Guests of Honor Engr. Syed Nasir Khurshid, Advisor to the KBNCE Alumni, and Mr. Abdul Majeed Badruddin, Managing Director and CEO of Universal Inspection Company. Presiding over the ceremony was Engr. Saleh bin Ali, President of the Alumni Chapter.

Engr. Nayeem, in his keynote address, shared his inspiring journey to the top of the construction industry, urging attendees to embrace challenges and strive for excellence. He praised the KBN Education Society for its visionary leadership, which has empowered countless alumni to become successful engineers. He also honored the legacy of the late Sajjade Saheb Syed Shah Mohammed ul Hussaini, recognizing his dedication to community empowerment through education.

Engr. Syed Nasir Khurshid commended Engr. Nayeem's significant achievements and entrepreneurial success, urging young alumni to follow in his footsteps. He also lauded Mr. Badruddin for his contributions to the community and ongoing support of the alumni chapter, encouraging attendees to consider Universal Inspection Company's services for their projects. Engr. Khurshid further asked the attendees to pray for the health of Mr. Khusro Hussaini, the Sajjada Nasheen and Chairman of the KBN Society, and acknowledged the support of Madam Ruksar Fatima, Dean of KBN University, and Chancellor Mr. Ali Hussaini.

Mr. Abdul Majeed Badruddin, renowned for holding multiple world records, shared insights into his entrepreneurial journey, including the expansion of his company to Madinah Al-Munawwara. His emphasis on morning prayers and self-confidence struck a chord with the audience.

Engr. Saleh bin Ali spoke about the remarkable growth of the KBN Education Society, which has evolved from a girls' school in 1956 to a prestigious university ranked 5th in Karnataka and 31st in India among private universities, according to the 2024 Outlook survey. He encouraged alumni to contribute actively to their fields and embrace continuous upskilling in an ever-changing world.

The event was seamlessly hosted by Alumni General Secretary Engr. Amjad Ali, beginning with a Quran recitation by Hafiz Mohammed Hamad and a welcoming address by Alumni Vice President Engr. Mohammed Yahiya. Engr. Syed Mohiuddin, another Alumni Vice President, stressed the importance of staying connected with the alumni network. Chief Coordinator Engr. Mohammed Aejaz Uddin outlined the alumni’s achievements, emphasizing the role of emotional intelligence in the workplace, while Engr. Mohammed Abdul Ameed provided valuable career advice, and Engr. Mohammed Mujtaba Yaseen shared tips for financial freedom.

A special presentation by Engr. Abdul Bari, Head of PMO at MASAH Construction Company, highlighted innovations in the construction industry. The event concluded with heartfelt thanks from Alumni Treasurer Engr. Abubakr Bin Hussain, followed by a group photo session, capturing the unity and collaborative spirit of the alumni.

The Annual Event 2024 was a resounding success, inspiring attendees and strengthening the bonds within the KBN alumni community.

Mangaluru: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, an engineer from Mangaluru lost ₹30 lakh after being deceived by a scammer posing as a Mumbai police head constable.

On October 10, the engineer received a phone call, during which the scammer falsely claimed that 25 fraudulent bank accounts had been opened in his name. The caller alleged these accounts were being used for illegal transactions and urged the victim to act immediately to avoid legal trouble.

The scammer manipulated the engineer into believing that all funds in his personal bank account needed to be transferred for "verification" by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In a state of panic, the victim complied, transferring ₹30 lakh to multiple accounts provided by the fraudster.

Adding to the deception, the victim was told to send WhatsApp updates every 20 minutes to track the "progress." Realizing the fraud only after the transfers were completed, the victim filed a complaint, and a case has been registered at the Bajpe police station.

This incident serves as a stark reminder for the public to stay cautious and verify information before acting on unsolicited calls, especially those involving sensitive financial details.