Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 2 (ANI): Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday criticised Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar for staging a protest outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Bengaluru, accusing him of neglecting issues such as drought and the plight of farmers in the state.
In a post on X, Joshi said Shivakumar should be focusing on finding solutions to the drought situation, problems faced by farmers and other issues concerning people instead of protesting outside the CEO's office.
“Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who should be focusing on finding solutions to the drought in the state, the plight of farmers, and the burning issues faced by the people, suddenly staging a protest in front of the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka in Bengaluru is extremely regrettable,” Joshi said.
Joshi said election officials, Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were aware of the election process, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Form 7 and revision of electoral rolls, adding that the Election Commission was continuously monitoring these matters.
He wrote, “There is clear awareness among election officials as well as BLAs and BLOs regarding the election process, the SIR process, Form 7, and the revision of the electoral roll, and the Election Commission also continuously monitors these matters.”
He accused the Karnataka government of neglecting the plight of farmers, the drought situation and the basic needs of people, and criticised the decision to postpone the Cabinet meeting for the protest.
He described the protest as an attempt to mislead the people.
“Even so, completely neglecting the need to prioritise the plight of farmers, the drought situation, and the basic needs of the people, postponing the cabinet meeting itself and staging a protest to appease fake Gandhis and protect dubious voters is truly tragic and condemnable. This is nothing but a drama to create a nonexistent bogey and mislead the people,” he further added.
Joshi also questioned the police over the protest, saying that protests in Bengaluru are not permitted at places other than Freedom Park and asking why an FIR had not been registered against those staging the protest.
Joshi wrote, “In Bengaluru, protests are not permitted anywhere other than Freedom Park. Why are the police, who immediately take action when others stage protests anywhere else, remaining silent without filing an FIR against these people who are sitting in protest in violation of the law?”
Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, accompanied by six Cabinet ministers, staged a protest outside the office of Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar on Thursday.
Shivakumar and the ministers also met Anbukkumar and demanded immediate registration of an FIR and a time-bound criminal investigation into the alleged bulk submission of fraudulent Form 7 objections during the ongoing SIR process.
The Karnataka government has alleged mass deletion of voters during the electoral-roll revision and sought action over the alleged irregularities.
Meanwhile, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy also criticised the protest, alleging that the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues had cancelled the day's Cabinet meeting and launched a “political farce”.
He claimed that concerns over alleged irregularities in the SIR process had been raised earlier as well and questioned why the Karnataka government had remained silent at that time.
Kumaraswamy said, "The Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues have cancelled today's cabinet meeting and started a political farce. Today they met the State Election Commissioner and alleged that injustice has happened in the SIR process, that BJP workers have committed irregularities and stolen votes, and they themselves are sitting on a dharna demanding that people be arrested immediately and FIRs be filed. We ourselves had complained in the initial stage that in many taluk centres, in choultries and in houses, people were gathering in groups and committing irregularities in the SIR process. Why were you silent at that time? Where had you gone? Now you are saying irregularities have happened.
He alleged that the protest was being held at the direction of leaders from Delhi and accused the state government of using the SIR issue to divert public attention from other alleged irregularities in Karnataka.
“On the instructions of your Delhi leaders who came yesterday, you have come here and started this drama. To divert people's attention from the several irregularities happening in the state, including the documents we recently released regarding the Chief Minister's own involvement in the NICE irregularities, you have started this SIR drama," he told the reporters. (ANI)
Pralhad Joshi slams DK Shivakumar for protest outside CEO office, says focus on drought, farmers
