Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 10 : Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State Secretary Prakash Reddy on Saturday launched a sharp attack against Congress leader Priyank Kharge over his remarks concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his immediate resignation from the Karnataka Cabinet.
Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, Reddy accused Congress leaders of deliberately issuing statements aimed at discrediting constitutional institutions.
"Priyank Kharge, Home Minister of Karnataka, said that Gyanesh Kumar is absconding... If you give such statements, what will people understand about you? This is unfortunate. The Congress leaders are giving such willful, intentionally damaging statements," Reddy said.
Reddy further stated that such remarks undermine democratic safeguards and constitutional bodies in the country.
"It also damages the spirit of the Election Commission and the Indian Constitution. I don't think Priyank Kharge has any moral right to continue as Home Minister of Karnataka. I demand his resignation," the BJP leader added.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge stepped up the offensive against the Election Commission of India (ECI), questioned the silence of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, asking "where is he hiding" while multiple political outfits and citizens raise serious allegations of voter list manipulation.
Backing the ongoing demonstrations across the country against the poll body, Kharge alleged that mass deletions of voters from specific communities were being facilitated and questioned how ruling parties were obtaining machine-readable voter rolls.
"Whoever is protesting, whether it's the INDIA bloc or whether it's CJP or whether it's anybody else, everybody's asking the same question: where is Mr. Gyanesh Kumar hiding? Why is he not coming forth and answering the questions?" Kharge said.
Raising questions over internal divisions within the poll panel, the Karnataka Minister claimed that decisions were being taken despite reported dissent from other Election Commissioners.
"Who is allowing the manipulation of Form 6 when two election commissioners are expressing dissent? Who is allowing bulk printing of Form 7 for mass deletion of certain sections of the society? How is it that certain parties in the ruling dispensation are getting machine-readable voter lists? Otherwise, it's not possible," Kharge alleged.