SC to hear plea for setting up of SIT to probe allegations of electoral roll tampering
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court is likely to hear on October 13 a plea seeking the constitution of a special investigation team headed by a former judge to inquire into allegations of electoral roll manipulation in Bengaluru Central and other affected constituencies.
The plea has also cited the August 7 press conference by Rahul Gandhi where he presented data to buttress these claims.
According to the apex court website, the plea, filed by lawyer Rohit Pandey, is tentatively listed for hearing on October 13.
The plea also sought the apex court's direction that no further revision or finalisation of electoral rolls be undertaken until compliance with the court's directions and the completion of an independent audit of the rolls.
On August 7, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha had made explosive claims of a "huge criminal fraud" in polls through "collusion" between the BJP and the Election Commission and had cited an analysis of voter rolls in a constituency in Karnataka last year.
Soon after Gandhi levelled the charge asserting that "vote chori" (vote theft) is an "atom bomb on our democracy", the chief electoral officers of Karnataka and Maharashtra had asked the former Congress chief to share names of electors he claimed were "wrong" in the voters' list along with a signed declaration for poll authorities to initiate "necessary proceedings" in the matter.
On August 17, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had said Gandhi should either give a declaration under oath within seven days on his allegations of irregularities in the voter list, or else his 'vote theft' claims would be rendered baseless and invalid.
The plea filed in the apex court has urged the court to issue binding guidelines to the Election Commission to ensure transparency, accountability and integrity in the preparation, maintenance and publication of electoral rolls, including mechanisms for detection and prevention of duplicate or fictitious entries.
It also sought a direction to the EC to publish electoral rolls in accessible, machine-readable and OCR-compliant formats to enable meaningful verification, audit and public scrutiny.
"The petitioner has observed grave irregularities in the electoral rolls of Bengaluru Central Parliamentary Constituency (Mahadevapura Assembly Constituency), which, on the face of it, warrant urgent consideration by this court," the plea said.
It said that the intervention by the apex court was essential to uphold and preserve the sanctity of the Constitution, which could only be effectively ensured by the court.
The plea claimed that in Maharashtra, after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and prior to the assembly elections, within a span of around four months, about 39 lakh new voters were added to the electoral roll, whereas in the preceding five years, only around 50 lakh voters were added.
"Such a sudden and disproportionate increase raises a serious question on the transparency of the Election Commission in the process of addition of names to the voter list," the plea said.
It said the apex court has consistently held that free and fair elections constitute part of the 'basic structure' of the Constitution and cannot be diluted or subverted by any legislative or executive action.
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National Herald case: Shivakumar to seek time next week to appear before Delhi police
New Delhi/Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said he will ask for time from Delhi police to appear before them next week, to provide required information as part of the probe into the National Herald case.
He said he will seek time after the ongoing winter session of Karnataka legislature ends on December 19. He will also ask the Delhi police to provide him the FIR copy.
Shivakumar, who is in the national capital, had earlier said that he will appear before the Delhi police on Monday. But, he postponed the plan in order to rush back to Karnataka to participate in the last rites of veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, scheduled later in the day in Davangere.
"I had to go (to appear before the Delhi police), but I have to go back urgently. I'm asking them for time, stating that I will come next week," Shivakumar told reporters in New Delhi.
"They (Delhi police) have not attached the FIR copy while issuing notice to me. I need FIR copy, because we had already given all the required replies to the ED. I don't know what the FIR says, I only read in papers. They have given notice, I will ask for a FIR copy. I will come next week after the Assembly session."
The Delhi Police had issued a notice to Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress chief, seeking financial and transactional details as part of its probe into the National Herald case.
The notice issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) states that Shivakumar is "supposed to be having vital information" pertaining to the National Herald case registered on October 3 this year, against top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
In the notice dated November 29, the EOW had asked Shivakumar to appear before it or provide the requested information by December 19 latest.
Investigators have sought details about his personal background, his association with the Congress party, and a complete break up of funds allegedly transferred by him or associated entities to Young Indian.
To a question on meeting AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, amid the ongoing power tussle between him and CM Siddaramaiah over the Chief Minister post, Shivakumar said when he comes to Delhi, he usually meets every one.
"Whether it is Surjewala or Kharge (AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge) or Venugopal, I will meet everyone. During lunch yesterday I met Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. I have met everyone. What's wrong?" he asked.
Shivakumar was in Delhi to take part in Congress' "Vote Chori" rally on Sunday, and had also participated in the lunch organised by the party for its leaders.
Responding to a question, whether any meeting is planned with leaders today, the Deputy CM said, he and Kharge will be travelling together to Karnataka, to pay last respects to Shamanuru Shivashankarappa.
Asked if he will seek time for a separate meeting with Congress leadership including Rahul Gandhi, during the next visit to Delhi, Sivakumar said, "such things will be there between us in the party.... you don't worry."
