Drugs case: Kumaraswamy questions reports about ex-CM's alleged interference in probe
Bengaluru: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday took strong exception to media reports that a former Chief Minister was allegedly contacted for help by popular television anchor Anushree who was recently questioned by Mangaluru CCB police in connection with a drug case, and demanded that the identity be revealed.
Kumaraswamy, a former Chief Minister, while questioning the credibility of such information being reported, which has the potential to malign people, also sought to know whether an attempt was being made to mislead the people, using the media, and wanted the truth to come out.
"....I have been following reports in the media about the ongoing investigation into drug cases. Every day, there are reports stating that children of politicians, businessmen, and influential people are involved and no action is being taken against them. Fictitious stories are also emerging every day," Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said media reports quoting CCB sources say Anushree's caller list revealed that she got in touch with influential political leaders of the state as soon as she got the CCB notice to appear for questioning.
The reports speak about a former Chief Minister, a former Chief Minister's son, and an influential politician, he said.
Listing the names of a few former Chief Ministers, including him, Kumaraswamy asked "which officer has given such information to the media? on what basis a former Chief Minister is being named? Who is he? His name has to be revealed."
Objecting to officials revealing the details to the media, when the investigation is underway, Kumaraswamy said a reference has been made to a former Chief Minister, without mentioning the name and the government has to bring out the truth.
"Whoever the former chief minister is, whether it is me or anyone, if he has pressurized or she (Anushree) has spoken to him, it has to be revealed before the public.
I have spoken to Mangaluru Police Commissioner also and asked him to clarify," he said.
In case the police have not revealed any information and the media has created it, the government has to take action against the media, he said, and demanded that the government bring out the truth, reveal the identity, and get it investigated.
Asking the media to report responsibly, so that no one is unnecessarily maligned, Kumaraswamy sought an investigation into the alleged involvement of a CCB officer in revealing the information and its authenticity.
He said he was also writing to the Chief Minister and Home Minister about stopping such media reports that unnecessarily malign people and mislead people without any truth.
In response to a question, he also termed it as a conspiracy to malign people ahead of the November 3 state assembly bypolls.
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SC to hear today NGO's plea for release of voter turnout data for LS polls within 48 hours
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to grant an urgent hearing on a plea by an NGO seeking a direction to the Election Commission to upload polling station-wise voter turnout data on its website within 48 hours of conclusion of polling for each phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked the counsel appearing for the Election Commission (EC) to take instructions and said it will hear the matter at the end of the board.
The matter was mentioned by advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), seeking urgent listing of the petition.
Last week, the NGO filed an interim application in its 2019 PIL seeking directions to the poll panel that "scanned legible copies of Form 17C Part-I (Account of Votes Recorded)" of all polling stations be uploaded immediately after the polls.
"Direct the Election Commission to provide tabulated polling station-wise data in absolute figures of the number of votes polled as recorded in Form 17C Part- I after each phase of polling in the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections and also a tabulation of constituency-wise figures of voter turnout in absolute numbers in the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections," the NGO said.
It said the plea was filed to ensure that the democratic process is not subverted by electoral irregularities.
"The voter turnout data for the first two phases of the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections published by ECI on April 30 has been published after 11 days of the first phase of polling... on April 19 and four days after second phase of polling... on April 26.
"The data, as published by the ECI in its press release dated April 30, 2024 shows a sharp increase (by about 5-6 per cent) as compared to the initial percentages announced by ECI as of 7 pm on the day of polling," the plea said.
The petition said the "inordinate" delay in the release of final voter turnout data, coupled with the unusually high revision of over 5 per cent in the poll panel's press note of April 30, 2024 has raised concerns and public suspicion regarding the correctness of the said data.
The non-release of the absolute number of votes polled coupled with the "unreasonable delay" in the release of votes polled data has led to apprehensions in the mind of the electorate about the sharp increase between initial data and data released on April 30, it said.
"These apprehensions must be addressed and put to rest. That in order to uphold the voter's confidence it is necessary that the ECI be directed to disclose on its website scanned legible copies of Form 17C Part- I (Account of Votes Recorded) of all polling stations which contains the authenticated figures for votes polled, within 48 hours of the close of polling," it said.
