From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Nov 18: The alleged electoral data theft by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Chilume, is a serious offence and the Chief Minister as well as senior cabinet ministers are protecting the culprits, said KPCC Chief D K Shivakumar on Friday.
Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru, he said the Congress party is meeting the State Election Commission (SEC) officers and demanding a high-level probe into this Votegate scandal.
The KPCC Chief debunked the ruling BJP government’s attempts to pass the blame to previous government by stating that Chilume had been entrusted with similar work during the previous Congress regime. “If we have done any fraud, let them arrest us. I don’t know which officer or minister had given such a permission which is totally wrong,’’ he said.
Shivakumar expressed surprise at senior IAS officer and Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta’s decision of overnight withdrawal of the permission given by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to Chilume Educational and Rural Development Trust to collect voters data by allegedly posing as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) through its staff by going door-to-door for the benefit of the ruling party and wondered how this serious fraud was allowed to happen.
The decision of the SEC to entrust probe into the entire mess to the Divisional Vigilance Commissioner (DVC) is unacceptable, the KPCC Chief said and demanded that this offence must be probed by a sitting judge of the State High Court to inspire confidence in the inquiry.
Shivakumar said there are serious allegations that the Chilume Trust officials collected sensitive information by visiting houses in all the 28 assembly constituencies and sharing the same with the ruling party. There are also allegations that names of voters have been dropped in large numbers in several places. This issue of staff belonging to a private NGO posing as government officials and wearing official badges is very serious, he said.
He pointed out that the Congress party has already lodged a complaint with the City Police Commissioner and has also emailed it to the SEC. He said he along with Congress Opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah are meeting SEC authorities to formally submit a complaint and demand proper inquiry.
The KPCC Chief demanded to know how the Chilume Director Ravikumar Bittu was allowed to issue BLO identity cards to the staff and how these people were allowed to visit all assembly constituencies and visit residences of the people. There are charges that names of 26 lakh voters have been dropped and some 14 lakh new names are added, he said urged all parties to be vigilant of this serious fraud in all assembly constituencies.
Answering questions, Shivakumar said the involvement of Chilume in EVM frauds cannot be ruled out especially after it has admitted that they are capable of handling EVMs.
On Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan’s threat to file a defamation suit against Congress leaders for alleging his involvement in the Votegate Scandal, the KPCC Chief said the minister was free to file any complaint so that details will come out.
Sudhakar alleges Cong leaked Caste Panel report
Meanwhile, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar has charged that the Congress leaders were responsible for leaking details report of the Kantharaju Commission on collecting Caste Data at a cost Rs 130 crore without officially releasing the report.
He dismissed the Congress party’s charges on the Votegate Scam and said the government has already ordered a probe. Let the report of the probe come, he said.