Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 1 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader DK Shivakumar announced that the Congress party will stage a protest at Bengaluru's Freedom Park on August 5, followed by a march to the Election Commission's office to submit an appeal regarding alleged electoral malpractice.
Addressing mediapersons on Thursday, Shivakumar said, "We will hold the protest at the Freedom Park (on 5th August) and then visit the Election Commission's office to submit an appeal. We need to protect the rights of voters and the Constitution."
He further said that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will kickstart the party's movement from Karnataka.
The Congress leader said, "Lok Sabha LoP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is starting this fight from the soil of Karnataka, as he thinks it would strengthen the fight across the nation."
The protest is being framed as part of a larger campaign to draw attention to what the party claims are increasing incidents of "election fraud."
"A lot of election fraud would be highlighted during the fight," Shivakumar stated.
Earlier on July 26, extending his support to Rahul Gandhi's allegations against the Election Commission in Karnataka, Shivakumar said that bogus votes were found in several urban booths across the state and the matter would be brought to the notice of the public and the poll body.
Speaking to ANI, the DY CM stated that Congress party has conducted research in many booths and found that votes were shifted "without" any proper documents.
"We conducted research in many booths of Karnataka, especially in the urban sectors, where we found that votes were shifted there from various places without any proper documents. All bogus votes were created... We will present this evidence to the election commission. Whether they agree or not, that's a different issue. We will present it in front of the people too... A very big injustice has been given to those assembly segments. Our constituencies have been affected with this.... I stand by his statement," Shivakumar said.
Rahul Gandhi had accused the apex poll body of indulging in "cheating" during the voter list revision process in a Karnataka constituency.
On July 24, Gandhi claimed to have "100 per cent" proof of the alleged manipulation, which involves adding and deleting voters, but hasn't presented any evidence yet.
He alleged that thousands of new voters aged 50, 60, and 65 have been added to the list in a single constituency and eligible voters above 18 have been removed from the list.
"Today we have 100 per cent proof of Election Commission allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka. When we decide to show it to you, it is 100 per cent proof. We just looked at one constituency and we found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency this is the drama. Thousands of new votes, aged 50 or 60, 65 (are there) in one constituency. Then voter deletion, people who are way above 18," he had said.
Opposition parties, including Congress and Samajwadi Party, have been protesting against the SIR exercise, alleging that it's an attempt to disenfranchise voters, particularly from marginalised communities. They claim that the process is being used to remove names from the voters' list, which could impact the outcome of upcoming assembly elections.