Bommai Hits Back Congress Over Chilume Allegations

Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said citing the Congress’s allegations that the NGO, Chilume, is involved in voter data fraud at the behest of the ruling BJP, is baseless, and added that orders were issued during the Congress government. flouting the norms set by the Election Commission (EC).

The CM added that a thorough investigation will bring the truth to light in the matter. Addressing media persons in the state capital Bengaluru on Sunday, the chief minister said, “It was during the Congress government that orders were issued to Chilume, flouting rules of the Election Commission. An investigation will bring the truth to the fore. The baseless allegation will backfire on the Congress.”

He said his government has coordinated an investigation from 2013, during the term of the previous Siddaramaiah government. The CM added that the search will bring to light the instructions that had allegedly been given to the NGO by the previous Congress government.

“The citizens must know what orders were issued to Chilume and why. Our government had only asked the agency to raise awareness among voters, only on the condition that it should not have any link or relationship with any political party,” Bommai told reporters on Sunday.

“However, former chief minister Siddaramaiah had issued orders looking for a revision of the electoral roll, which can only be done by the Election Commission. It is a grave crime that the work, which is in the domain of the EC, had been entrusted to a private body. A tehsildar was given orders to appoint BLOs. The Siddaramaiah government crossed all limits and misused power,” the CM further blamed.

He said the allegations against the present government were politically inspired. To the allegation that the chief minister had used the NGO to collect details of voters, Bommai said that all political parties use such agencies to finish surveys.

But it was important to note the nature of the instructions issued by the government, he added.

“Our government had put a condition before the NGO that it must not have any link with any political party. This condition was missing in the orders issued by the previous government. The Siddaramaiah government had even authorized the NGO to appoint BLOs,” Bommai claimed.

On whether the government will recommend a high-level probe, Bommai said, “The government had earlier planned to probe only the allegation raised by the Congress. But it has now been decided to probe whatever happened since 2013.”

He also added Congress’ allegation of deletion of names from electoral rolls was baseless. “It is a false allegation that the names of 27 lakh voters were deleted from the rolls. In Shivaji Nagar, only 15,000 names were deleted and in KR Puram and Mahadevapura, about 40,000 to 45,000 names were removed. This time, the Election commission is using Artificial Intelligence to weed out duplicate names from the list. This will remove fake voters from the rolls and ensure fair polling. It will also end the practice of inclusion of names from other areas to sway the polls towards the Congress. The Congress is creating a hue and cry because we are trying to stop such electoral fraud,” the CM said. On Congress’s plan to move the Election Commission in the matter, he said, “Let them complain to whoever they want. The truth will come out. Their allegations are baseless and will backfire on them.”