People making statements against me, to escape scams allegations: Cong leader BK Hariprasad
Koppal: Senior Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad, during a community wedding program held at Talabala village in Kukanur Taluk, Koppal, on Tuesday, strongly defended himself against allegations brought to the party's High Command. Hariprasad asserted that those leveling complaints against him are doing so in an attempt to divert attention from their own scandals and evade potential legal consequences for their wrongdoings.
His comments come in the wake of a recent accusation by the veteran leader against the Siddaramaiah government, in which he alleged that justice was being denied to Dalits and the Minority community. This statement led to criticism from several party members who accused B.K. Hariprasad of attempting to sabotage the party.
Addressing reporters, Hariprasad welcomed any complaints directed to the state party InCharge, stating that he would be pleased if this were the case. He challenged individuals making accusations to take their complaints to higher levels within the party.
Expressing his displeasure with Malur Congress MLA, K.V. Nanjegowda, Hariprasad suggested that Nanjegowda's complaints against him were intended to deflect attention from allegations of his own involvement in scams. Hariprasad urged Nanjegowda to demonstrate the same determination in addressing the scam allegations against him.
Responding to Basavangauda Patil Yatnal's assertion that the "Congress government in Karnataka would collapse in three months," Hariprasad dismissed the claim as wishful thinking, stating that there was no internal strife within the party. He emphasized that he did not require directives from Nagpur, a reference to the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), unlike BJP leaders.
The event was attended by other Congress leaders.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Fascism will not be allowed to enter through the back door of vote rigging: CM Siddaramaiah
New Delhi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that fascism would not be allowed to enter India “through the back door of vote rigging” and called upon citizens to collectively defend the country’s democratic foundations.
Speaking after participating in an anti–vote rigging protest organised in New Delhi, Siddaramaiah said the gathering was not merely a political demonstration but a stand to protect Indian democracy. “We have come to the heart of our republic not as Congress workers or voters, but as protectors of Indian democracy,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of the right to vote, Siddaramaiah said it was the most sacred right guaranteed by the Constitution and the very foundation of democracy.
“Through voting, a farmer shapes the future of his children, a worker safeguards his dignity, a youth realises dreams, and a nation expresses its collective will,” he said.
He accused the BJP-led Union government of attempting to undermine this right through what he termed systematic vote rigging, including the alleged misuse of the special revision of electoral rolls. “This power is being stolen repeatedly,” he alleged.
ALSO READ: Bantwal police arrest two men for illegal sale of narcotics, seize two vehicles, 810 gm ganja
Warning against authoritarian tendencies, Siddaramaiah said history had shown that dictatorship does not begin with violence but with the misuse of institutions and manipulation of democratic systems.
“Across the world, authoritarian regimes pretend to protect democracy while quietly subverting it. This is what the BJP is doing today,” he charged.
He alleged that the ruling party was controlling institutions, intimidating electoral machinery, distorting voter lists, suppressing voter turnout in opposition strongholds, and misusing money and power. “This is not mere maladministration. Vote rigging is an attack on the very idea of India,” he said.
Siddaramaiah further claimed that governments formed through “stolen votes” could not be considered democratic.
“Such regimes survive through fear, fraud and distortion of the people’s mandate,” he said, adding that vote rigging posed the biggest threat to the republic since Independence.
Praising Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said he had shown exceptional courage in exposing alleged irregularities in voter lists, booth-level manipulation and “systematic, organised vote rigging” across several states, including Karnataka, Haryana and Bihar.
Referring to Karnataka, Siddaramaiah cited Mahadevpura and Aland constituencies as examples highlighted by Gandhi. In Mahadevpura, he said, thousands of allegedly fake and fraudulent voter entries and discrepancies in electoral rolls pointed to a narrow BJP victory. In Aland, he said, attempts were made to remove the names of legitimate voters ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
ALSO READ: Chamrajnagar: Woman arrested for selling ganja atop Male Mahadeshwara Hills
He noted that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had recently filed a chargesheet accusing seven persons, including a former BJP MLA and his son, of attempting to delete the names of around 6,000 voters in Aland.
“This is a significant legal step in the fight against vote rigging,” he said.
Siddaramaiah concluded by stating that the fight against vote rigging was rooted in constitutional morality, Ambedkarite thought and the core principle of democracy. “Sovereignty belongs to the people, not to any party, regime or those who seek to steal elections,” he said.
