Cong chief Kharge accuses EC of stonewalling crucial information in Karnataka 'voter fraud' matter
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday accused the Election Commission of having "stonewalled crucial information" which he claimed was effectively shielding those behind alleged "vote chori".
Kharge shared on X a media report which claimed that the case related to an attempt to remove electors by forging Form 7, ahead of the Karnataka Assembly election in 2023 has gone cold since the ECI is yet to share crucial data needed to nab the accused.
There was no immediate response from the Election Commission on the charges but the poll body has in the past dismissed all such claims by the Congress as baseless.
Is the Election Commission of India (ECI) now BJP's back-office for "vote chori", Kharge asked.
"Understand the chronology. Ahead of the May 2023 Karnataka elections, Congress had exposed massive deletion of voters: in Aland Constituency. Thousands of voters were stripped of their rights through a very sophisticated operation of forging Form 7 applications," he alleged.
"In February 2023, a case was filed. The probe revealed 5,994 forged applications - clear evidence of a massive attempt at voter fraud. The Congress government then ordered a CID probe to catch the culprits.
"But here's the twist: while ECI had earlier shared part of the documents needed to trace the forgery, it has now stonewalled the crucial information - effectively shielding those behind the Vote Chori!" Kharge said.
Why has the ECI suddenly blocked vital evidence, he asked.
"Who is it protecting? BJP's Vote Chori department? Is the ECI bending under BJP pressure to derail the CID probe?" the Congress chief said.
Individual's right to vote needs to be protected, Kharge said and added that Indian democracy needs to be protected.
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Road crash in UP leaves 10 dead
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said.
The van was going to Sisaiya from Lakhimpur when the accident took place between Unchgaon and Bharehta villages.
Circle Officer of Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, said all nine passengers travelling in the van and the driver were killed.
District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leading to nine casualties on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the district hospital.
Circle Officer, Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh told PTI, "Efforts are on to establish the identity of other deceased persons."
The seven of the deceased have been identified as Jaideep Singh (25), Pawan (23), Sohan (21), Ram Goyal (42), Sahajram (35), Pappu (18), all residents of Bahraich district and Adnan Khan (15), a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.
Condoling the loss of lives in the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X, said, "The loss of life in the unfortunate road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families."
"I have directed the local administration to provide prompt and adequate assistance to the injured and the victims. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His divine feet and to bestow a speedy recovery upon the injured," Adityanath said on X.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak too condoled the loss of lives in the accident.
"The loss of lives resulting from the road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families," Maurya said.
