Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 4 (ANI): Karnataka: Congress govt using money, power to influence elections, alleges HD Kumaraswamy
The former Karnataka Chief Minister also alleged that the ruling party was also pressuring the police to register cases against BJP workers over Form-7 applications.
“The Congress government is running with financial arrogance as the Chief Minister. They are going to the extent of misappropriating power, using money to get whatever they want, winning any election they want. We are teaching a lesson for all this,” Kumaraswamy said.
Kumaraswamy also raised the issue of the NICE project and alleged that Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had taken oath and joined NICE at midnight, while discussions were underway over the Chief Minister taking over the project.
“On the NICE issue, DK Shivakumar took oath and joined NICE at 24:00. On the one hand, people are talking about the Chief Minister taking over the NICE project. On the other hand, on the Bidadi Township issue, he is also doing work to bring farmers to the streets,” Kumaraswamy added.
Targeting the Congress government over farmer suicides, he claimed that more than 3,500 farmers had committed suicide in Karnataka in the last three years.
“Overall, in this Congress government, we have seen more than three and a half thousand farmers committing suicide in the last three years. That is why they are doing all this. Overall, in this Congress government, we have seen more than three and a half thousand farmers commit suicide in the last three years. People will answer for all that in the coming days,” he said.
On the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Form-7 applications, Kumaraswamy said the Election Commission had given political parties the right to raise objections regarding voter lists.
“Form-7, what is it? The SIR process is going on, Form-7. The Election Commission has given a right to all political parties in this country,” he said.
He alleged that voter lists had duplicate entries, included names of deceased persons and contained names of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, and said such issues should be identified and the electoral rolls revised.
“There is some double entry; even if someone is dead, their name is still included in the voter list. There are illegal Bangladeshis; such things have been done by the Congress. It is not limited to Bangalore. All these things should be found out; the voter list should be revised, cleaned, and SIR is being done in the entire country. It is being done in Karnataka too,” he added.
Kumaraswamy also criticised Shivakumar over his alleged approach to the Election Commission on the Form-7 issue, saying the Chief Minister had staged a sit-in. “Using Form-7 as an excuse, D.K. Shivakumar has done something like forgetting even the Chief Ministers of the state and going to the Election Commission and staging a sit-in,” he said.
He further alleged that the Congress government was putting pressure on the police department, resulting in an FIR being registered against BJP workers. “As a result, the Congress government is putting pressure on the police department and today an FIR is being registered against BJP workers,” he said.
Kumaraswamy said senior BJP leaders, including BS Yediyurappa and R Ashoka had met the Director General of Police over the issue and warned that the party would take to the streets if BJP workers were targeted.
“Yesterday, Honorable B.S. Yediyurappa, our R. Ashok, and all the senior party MLAs met the Director General of Police and we said it loudly. We have also said that if the ruling party gives in to pressure and files an FIR against BJP workers and allows this kind of oppression, we will have to take to the streets,” Kumaraswamy added.
He said Form-7 applications could be submitted by workers of any political party when they found discrepancies in voter lists, adding that election officials were responsible for verifying and deciding on such objections.
“Let us know; there may be some of our party workers in Form-7, there may be workers of any other party. When we give Form-7, if we say that it is not correct, there are officials for this, there are Election Returning Officers, there are BLOs. They all join hands and reject it. If the Form-7 we give is correct, they accept it,” he added.
Kumaraswamy maintained that the police had no grounds to register a criminal case merely over the submission of Form-7 applications. “But today, there is absolutely no chance for the police department to register a criminal case. That is what we told the DGP yesterday,” he said. (ANI)
Karnataka: Congress govt using money, power to influence elections, alleges HD Kumaraswamy
