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Why are illegal Bangladeshi immigrants not being deported, queries CM
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Shivakumar
New Delhi: On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Shivakumar questioned the BJP’s claims regarding illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. He said that if there were illegal immigrants in the country, preventing infiltration at the border was the responsibility of the Union Government.
He said BJP MPs and MLAs had stated that applications had been submitted to remove Bangladeshi nationals from electoral rolls. “Protecting the votes of Indian citizens is the responsibility of the Union Government. If there are illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, they should not only be denied voting rights but also be deported. Why is that not being done?” he asked.
The Chief Minister also alleged that pre-filled Form 7 applications were being distributed in the names of BJP workers in Karnataka, particularly targeting minority voters. He claimed that applications were being submitted in large numbers and that some BJP workers had admitted their involvement and withdrawn applications.
He said the Election Commission had, following the protests in Karnataka, issued instructions that no eligible voter’s name should be deleted without proper verification. He claimed that had the protests not taken place, the names of poor, rural and illiterate voters could have been deleted.
Shivakumar said the Election Commission had now called for a month-long campaign to protect the voting rights of people without permanent residences and vulnerable sections of society. He said the campaign to protect voters’ rights had begun in Bengaluru and asserted that protecting the voting rights of every citizen was his responsibility as Chief Minister. “People must first win the hearts of voters to win an election. Instead, the BJP is misusing the electoral system,” he alleged.
Shivakumar also defended the State Government’s role in investigating alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls. He said the government had a responsibility to act against what he described as a criminal conspiracy and thanked the media for bringing the issue to public attention.
Reacting to the NDA leaders’ visit to the Governor’s office and their questions regarding the State Government’s actions, Shivakumar alleged that electoral irregularities had taken place and said the government had a responsibility to take necessary action.
“Is it not illegal to falsely declare living people dead and deprive them of their voting rights? This is a criminal conspiracy. I will get the matter investigated and take action according to law to protect democracy,” he said. Shivakumar further alleged that large numbers of voters had been targeted for deletion and claimed that Form 7 applications had been printed at the BJP’s central office, containing the names and addresses of Dalit, minority and backward-class voters and distributed to local BJP leaders. He also alleged that the identity cards and telephone numbers of applicants were provided and that BLOs were threatened after complaints were filed.
