Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 2 (ANI): Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Friday rejected Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's allegation that the BJP was involved in a conspiracy to delete around 50 lakh voters, including those belonging to minority, Dalit and backward classes, from electoral rolls, saying the party had not submitted the number of Form 7 applications claimed by the Chief Minister.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Vijayendra said around 25,000 Form 7 applications had been submitted across various Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, according to information available with the BJP, and claimed that the forms had been submitted by different political parties.
"The allegation of DK Shivakumar, the allegation made by the Chief Minister, is that the Bharatiya Janata Party has indulged in a conspiracy of deleting around fifty lakh voters belonging to minority communities, that is Muslims, Dalits and backward class. So the allegation is that the BJP is trying to delete the names of the Dalit community, backward class community and minorities, and his claim is that more than twenty-five to fifty lakh Form 7s have been submitted. According to our sources, around twenty-five thousand Form 7s have been submitted at various assembly constituencies in Karnataka, only twenty-five thousand," Vijayendra said.
He explained that Form 7 is a provision through which objections can be filed against names allegedly included illegally in electoral rolls, and said such applications can be submitted by any political party.
"What is Form 7? If the names that have been included in the voters list are illegal, then the Election Commission has made a provision through Form 7 wherein we can submit Form 7. Those names can be submitted by a political party, not only by BJP; any political party for that matter," he said.
Vijayendra said the decision on whether a name should be removed from the electoral roll rests with election officials.
"If it is factually correct, then the BLO and the ARO will take the decision of dropping those names. But the Chief Minister is falsely claiming that we have submitted fifty lakh forms, which is totally incorrect," he said.
He challenged Shivakumar to substantiate his allegation that the BJP was seeking to remove SC, ST and OBC voters from electoral rolls.
"I also challenge DK Shivakumar today; let him prove it because he is alleging that we are trying to delete SC, ST and OBC from the voter list. He cannot do a hit-and-run case. If DK Shivakumar has made an allegation against the Bharatiya Janata Party that we are trying to delete SC, ST and OBC from the voter list, he has to prove that allegation. He is a responsible person; he is a Chief Minister of the state," Vijayendra said.
He reiterated that the approximately 25,000 Form 7 applications referred to by him were not submitted exclusively by the BJP.
"And the twenty-five thousand Form 7 that have been submitted at various assembly constituencies, it's not only by BJP, but by every political party," he said.
Vijayendra also accused Congress government of attempting to divert attention from issues including drought, alleged corruption and the state's financial position.
"The whole agenda is the failed Congress party, the failed Congress government in Karnataka, which is unable to address the drought situation in Karnataka. Ruling party MLAs are alleging corruption allegation against the sitting ministers," he said.
He also alleged that the president of a contractors' association had written to the Chief Minister alleging that legislators were demanding bribes for contract works, and referred to a Finance Department communication concerning the state's financial situation.
Vijayendra further questioned Shivakumar's claim over the authority to delete names from electoral rolls.
"DK Shivakumar should also know who has the authority to delete the names from the voter list. Does the Bharatiya Janata Party have the authority? Is BJP the authority to delete the names? It is the BLOs - Block Level Officers in coordination with ARO; it is their responsibility, and all the Block Level Officers are working under the Congress government, under DK Shivakumar," he said.
He alleged that Congress government was attempting to divert attention from other issues by raising allegations against the BJP and the Election Commission.
"All the allegations made by DK Shivakumar are totally false, and now they want to threaten Bharatiya Janata Party karyakartas by registering an FIR. We don't care for all this threat," Vijayendra said.
He added that the BJP would challenge any FIR in court.
"Bharatiya Janata Party is bound to fight this corrupt Congress government. All these false allegations that DK Shivakumar is trying to force on the Election Commission to register an FIR, let them file FIRs; we will challenge them in the court," he said. (ANI)
"CM Shivakumar falsely claims BJP submitted 50 lakh Form 7": Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra
