Bengaluru, Jul 30 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will participate in a protest in Bengaluru on August 5 against what he claimed was “vote theft” in a Lok Sabha constituency here, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Wednesday.
Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, said the venue for the protest and nature of the event — whether rally or protest or march — will be decided after a meeting on Thursday, citing “technical issues” and court directives for holding such events in the city.
Amid the raging row over the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, on July 23 had alleged that elections are being “stolen” in India and claimed that his party has figured out the modus operandi of the “votes theft” by studying a parliamentary constituency in Karnataka.
“It has been decided that Rahul Gandhi will come on August 5. Tomorrow, two of our AICC general secretaries are coming and they will be holding a meeting with all our MLAs, defeated candidates, MLCs and KPCC office bearers, which will be attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Following which, we will decide the place, as there are some technical issues,” Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here after a party meeting, he said the plan is to ensure participation of people from all segments, and that he has instructed all block Congress Presidents, legislators and party leaders to be present.
Asked if it will be a rally or protest or padayatre (march), the Deputy CM said, “Let’s see, I have spoken to police commissioner and officials, there are technical issues… there are court conditions. It will be discussed at the meeting tomorrow.” Earlier in the day, state Home Minister G Parameshwara said Rahul Gandhi will be visiting the city on August 4 and address a protest meeting attended by party workers at Freedom Park, following which he will submit a representation to the Election Commission here.
Noting that there are directions from the High Court in 2022 against holding any procession and protest in the city, the Home Minister said, the programme will be organised keeping it in mind.
Responding to a question about Mahadevapura Assembly segment where voters names were allegedly added to voters list, Shivakumar said, “We have taken a case study, such things are there in other segments as well…names have been changed, different photos have been put in front of one’s name…” Calling Rahul Gandhi’s planned protest “funny”, Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra said if the EC can be “manipulated” as being claimed, probably the Congress party would have sat in opposition in the state.
Asserting that Gandhi was misguided on the issue, he demanded that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, CM Siddaramaiah and his Deputy D K Shivakumar apologise to voters of the state for casting doubt on the Election Commission and the electoral process.
“Rahul Gandhi going to protest against the Election Commission here in Bengaluru is the funniest part. I don’t know why he is so confused. If the BJP can manipulate and misuse the Election Commission, then how did Congress come to power in Karnataka with 136 MLAs? How did the Congress win by-elections for three MLA seats?” Vijayendra wondered.
Last week, Gandhi had said he would put before the people and the Election Commission in black in white on how the “theft of votes” is being done.
“In Karnataka, we have found out ‘bhayankar chori (massive theft)’. I will show it in black and white to you and the Election Commission. I will show in black and white how the ‘chori’ is done and from where. We have it in black and white in Karnataka,” the former Congress president had said.
Following Gandhi’s statement, Siddaramaiah too had alleged that the Congress party’s setback in the LS polls in the state was due to “illegal manipulation” of the electoral process by the BJP through its misuse of the Election Commission, and the discussions were on with his party high command to decide the necessary course of action.
Concurring with Gandhi, Shivakumar had said he had made a detailed investigation regarding the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency, and a lot of “golmal” had been done. PTI KSU ROH
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