"Won't sit quiet until action is taken against BJP leaders for violation of COVID curbs": DKShi
Bengaluru, Jan 18: Congress Karnataka president D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said his party will not sit quiet until action is taken against ruling BJP leaders, who violated COVID-19 curbs.
Faced by multiple FIRs against its leaders for organising padayatra demanding implementation of Mekedatu project, in violation of COVID restrictions, the Congress party has been demanding similar action against BJP leaders, who allegedly indulged in similar acts.
"We are not meeting (CM), I'm waiting for Siddaramaiah (Congress Legislature Party leader), he has gone to Mysuru, we will do what ever fight we need to...I'm writing a letter to the Chief Secretary to take action, our leaders will give it to him and the DGP," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "we will not say what we will do next, we will discuss, but I will not sit quietly."
Later in the day, a delegation of Congress leaders led by its state working president Saleem Ahmed met Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar, and handed over to him a letter signed by Shivakumar which sought filing of FIRs and appropriate legal action against BJP leaders for allegedly violating COVID curbs, and disciplinary action against government officials for not acting against them.
Pointing out that several FIRs have been booked against him, Siddaramaiah and several other Congress leaders, Shivakumar in the letter has listed several instances of 'COVID curbs violation' by BJP leaders including events attended by Aland MLA Subhash Guttedar, Honnali MLA M P Renukacharya, Minister B Sriramulu, among others.
The letter also refers to a large-scale gathering at the swearing-in of newly elected MLCs at Vidhana Soudha that was attended by Legislative Council Chairman, Chief Minister, Ministers among others and also an event held at Home Minister Araga Jnanendra's constituency.
Noting that these events were held in violation of COVID guidelines, without masks, social distancing and use of hand sanitizers, the KPCC chief wanted FIRs to be registered and legal action be taken against them.
He also sought disciplinary action against officials for showing negligence and failing to take action in accordance with law against those violating rules.
With limited options before it amid surging COVID cases, the government prohibiting movement of people, and High Court observations, the Congress state unit on January 13 had temporarily halted its padayatra from Mekedatu to Bengaluru on its fifth day.
Police have filed four FIRs against Congress leaders, including Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, for taking out the march defying COVID-19 curbs.
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Citizens’ Collective launches national campaign, urges EC to ensure electoral transparency
New Delhi: A collective of concerned citizens, civil society organisations, and technical experts has launched a nationwide campaign for accountability in the electoral process, raising serious concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the lack of transparency in the conduct of elections.
Coordinated by the platform ‘Vote for Democracy,’ the group has submitted a detailed memorandum to the ECI, reiterating six key demands aimed at restoring public faith in the electoral system. The memorandum comes in the wake of mounting scepticism around the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and allegations of procedural manipulation, particularly after recent elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi.
Among the central questions posed in the memorandum are:
- Why are the complete past and present voters’ lists not available in a searchable database on the ECI website?
- Why are Forms 17C, which record the number of votes polled, and other aggregate voter count data not publicly accessible in a digital format?
- Why is there no transparency in publishing Forms 9, 10, 11, 11A, and 11B that document additions and deletions in the voter rolls?
- Why is the EVM source code not open for public inspection to ensure software integrity?
- Why is there no full disclosure of Symbol Loading Unit (SLU) contents with oversight from independent technical experts?
- Why are VVPAT slips not counted in their entirety, and why can voters not verify and deposit the slips themselves?
The group has termed India’s current electronic voting system as semi-automated and riddled with vulnerabilities, demanding immediate systemic reforms. The six specific demands include:
1. Making all voter rolls—past and present—searchable and publicly accessible online.
2. Publishing Form 17C data from each booth and constituency in a searchable format.
3. Releasing Forms 9, 10, 11, 11A, and 11B detailing voter roll revisions.
4. Making the EVM source code open-source for public and expert scrutiny.
5. Publishing SLU contents and allowing monitoring by independent technical experts.
6. Restoring the integrity of the voting process by allowing voters to physically verify and deposit their VVPAT slips, followed by 100% slip counting. Final vote tallies, they argue, should be based solely on these physical paper records.
The memorandum, endorsed by 83 prominent individuals including former civil servants, judges, computer scientists, journalists, and grassroots activists, highlights concerns over the increasing opacity in electoral procedures. Among the signatories are MG Devasahayam, former IAS and Army officer; computer science experts Madhav Deshpande and Professor Harish Karnick; Justice D. Hariparanthaman and Justice B.G. Kolse Patil (retired High Court judges); Aruna Roy (Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan); Venkatesh Nayak (CHRI); Anjali Bhardwaj; E.A.S. Sarma, IAS (Retd); Teesta Setalvad; Prashant Tandon; and Raju Parulekar.
The signatories cited a recent CSDS survey that shows only 28% of Indians trust the ECI today, indicating serious democratic backsliding. They criticised the Commission’s perceived closeness to the political executive and its reluctance to act against violations of the Model Code of Conduct, including hate speech during elections.
During a recent three-hour national consultation with people’s organisations and civil society groups, participants highlighted the urgent need for systemic reform and greater transparency. State-wide consultations with expert committees are expected to follow.
Participants raised serious concerns over the integrity of voter rolls. In Maharashtra alone, 37 lakh new voters were reportedly added in the five months leading up to elections, without a credible explanation from the ECI. Similar concerns about large-scale voter additions and deletions have been flagged in states like Haryana, Delhi, and West Bengal.
The campaign aims to create national consensus around the need to replace EVMs with paper ballots, citing growing public mistrust. It seeks to address all facets of electoral conduct, from the misuse of the Model Code to the manipulation of voter lists, demanding a level playing field for all political actors.
The memorandum calls on the Election Commission to open itself to dialogue with citizens, technical experts, and political stakeholders. It warns that continued silence or inaction will deepen the erosion of public confidence in India’s democratic institutions.
The nationwide campaign is being led by several prominent voices including MG Devasahayam (Citizens Commission on Elections) and Teesta Setalvad (Vote for Democracy). A detailed programme outlining the next steps of the campaign is expected to be released shortly.
