Bengaluru, Oct 5 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka on Monday charged the ruling Congress and Chief Minister D K Shivakumar with “conspiring” to delete Hindu voters from electoral rolls during the ongoing SIR. They had hence accused the BJP of trying to remove Muslim electors through Form-7, he alleged.
The senior leader also said the BJP will approach Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot urging him to dismiss the “goonda government,” accusing it of targeting workers of the JD(S) and the saffron party.
Ashoka was referring to criminal cases being registered against individuals, particularly BJP workers and sympathisers, accusing them of filing fake Form-7 targeting certain sections of the society.
Form-7 is a voter application form for objection for proposed inclusion/deletion of names in the existing electoral roll.
“The Congress is accusing the BJP of deleting Muslim votes and only speaking about that community. As the Leader of Opposition, I allege that Congress is deleting Hindu votes, whether they are votes of Dalits, backward classes, or other castes. (CM) D K Shivakumar has conspired to delete the votes of Hindus and that is the reason he has come before the Election Commission to play this drama,” Ashoka charged.
Speaking to reporters, he said Congress is trying to put a caveat in case the BJP raises the issue of the government deleting Hindu votes.
“This is Congress’ direct conspiracy, as they are aware that Hindus won’t vote for them. They know (Narendra) Modi will win again and become Prime Minister (in 2029) and they will not have any future, so they are playing such a drama,” he added.
Stating that the BJP was not staging a protest in front of the CEO office, like the ruling Congress did last week, the LoP said, “we have given a complaint seeking necessary action. If we sit in protest here, it is like we are taking the law into our hands.”
“Shivakumar has done it (violated the law), as it is his legacy, but as someone who has been a minister in the past and now the LoP, I respect the law…we have told the CEO to give necessary clarification regarding FIRs being registered based on individual complaints; he has sought time until tomorrow. We will be meeting the governor,” he said.
The Congress government in Karnataka is a “goonda government”, and it is targeting BJP and JD(S) workers and registering cases, Ashoka said, adding, “we will request the governor to dismiss this government.”
Earlier in the day, BJP and JD (S) leaders met Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar and accused the Karnataka government of “unduly interfering” in the SIR of electoral rolls, alleging that the police machinery was being misused to intimidate those filing objections through Form-7.
The NDA leaders sought clarification from the CEO on how a private individual was permitted to file a complaint under the relevant provisions, how the complainant obtained the official document, and under what authority the complaint was accepted and acted upon.
Last Thursday, chief minister Shivakumar, his cabinet and party colleagues staged a demonstration in front of the CEO’s office seeking legal action, as the CM claimed that BJP and JD(S) leaders had submitted Form-7 applications in bulk in some constituencies.
He alleged that pre-printed forms carrying voters’ names, EPIC numbers and booth details had been distributed among opposition party workers.
On Monday, JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy warned the government that BJP and JD(S) workers would lay siege to police stations if misuse of official and police machinery to target the opposition with the intention of suppressing their voice continued.
“We warn the DG, IG and the commissioners: ask your officials to function according to the law. Police are there to protect people, not to arrest people based on false complaints. This things cannot continue like this,” he said.
Kumaraswamy said the CEO has been requested to issue clarification after seeking instructions from the EC. “Please don’t make us stage a protest,” he added.
(PTI News)
