100% proof of EC irregularities in LS polls

OB Bureau

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has attributed the Congress party’s underwhelming performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to what he called the BJP’s “misuse” of the Election Commission, alleging large-scale irregularities in the electoral process.

“The outcome of the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka not only surprised us but also raised several doubts. It is now becoming evident that the main reason behind the Congress party’s setback was the BJP’s misuse of the Election Commission to carry out irregularities,” Siddaramaiah said in a press statement mid-week.

The Chief Minister backed remarks made by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who has publicly accused the Election Commission of serious lapses. “I fully endorse Rahul Gandhi’s statement that there is 100% evidence of wrongdoing by the Election Commission in Karnataka,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that Congress workers had flagged cases of sudden inclusion of new voters and deletion of existing names across multiple constituencies.

He also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s electoral victories were not driven by popularity or governance, but rather by what he termed “vote theft”.

“These victories were not the result of BJP’s performance but due to manipulations executed via the Election Commission,” he alleged. Siddaramaiah said he would be discussing the party’s next steps with Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge.

In Karnataka, the BJP won 17 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the ruling Congress, which had banked on the popularity of its guarantee schemes, secured only 9. The JD(S) won 2 seats.

Reacting to the Congress’s allegations, BJP MLA and former Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwathnarayan dismissed the charges. “It was the Congress that was in power during the elections. His (Rahul Gandhi’s) statement is baseless, and we condemn it. The Election Commission and the government must respond to this,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, V. Anbukumar, rejected the claims of wrongdoing. “As per law, appeals can be filed against wrongful additions or deletions in the Electoral Rolls. No such appeals have been received,” he said, asserting that the rolls were prepared transparently and shared with all recognised parties.

Rahul Gandhi, however, doubled down on his accusation. “The Election Commission is not functioning as the Election Commission of India. We now have concrete, cent per cent proof of the Election Commission allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka,” he said.

 

RCB stampede: Dead girl’s jewellery stolen

OB Bureau

City police have registered an FIR over the alleged theft of gold jewellery from the body of a 13-year-old girl who died in the June 4 stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebration near the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The case was filed at the Commercial Street Police Station following a complaint by Ashwini Shivakumar, the mother of the deceased, Divyanshi. The FIR, booked under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, names an unidentified 25-year-old male from Shivajinagar as the accused.

According to the complaint, Divyanshi was wearing a pair of gold earrings (6 grams) and a gold chain (5–6 grams) worth around ₹1 lakh when her body was shifted to the mortuary at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital. However, the ornaments were missing when the body was returned to the family post-autopsy.

The FIR states that the mother did not immediately notice the missing items, but later reported the matter due to her emotional attachment to the jewellery. She has urged the police to trace the accused and take strict legal action.

Police have launched an investigation into the matter.

The June 4 stampede, triggered by overcrowding during RCB’s first-ever IPL trophy celebration, left 11 people dead and over 50 injured. The incident led to widespread criticism of crowd management by the authorities.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah termed it “one of the most unfortunate incidents” in his public life and ordered the suspension of five senior police officials, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and DCP (Central) Ramesh Banoth.

The BJP, calling the deaths “government-sponsored murders,” has demanded the resignation of Home Minister G. Parameshwara.

Meanwhile, acting on the Justice (Retd) Michael D’Cunha Commission report, the government will initiate departmental inquiries against five police officers suspended after the June 4 stampede at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Following a Cabinet review of the report midweek, the government also decided to file criminal cases against officials of RCB, DNA Entertainment Networks, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).

‘Love Jihad’? She Says POCSO

OB Bureau

In a troubling turn to a complex interfaith marriage case in Karnataka’s Gadag district, a woman who was earlier accused by her husband of “love jihad” has now filed a POCSO case against him, alleging sexual exploitation when she was a minor.

The couple— a Hindu man and a Muslim woman — had reportedly been in a relationship for three years before registering their marriage on November 26, 2024. According to the police, a nikah ceremony was later performed on April 25 at the request of the woman’s family.

The man, however, later approached Gadag Shahar police alleging that he had been “trapped” into conversion. In his complaint, he claimed that during the nikah ceremony, his name was changed to a Muslim one in the documents — written in Urdu — without his knowledge.

He also alleged that his in-laws pressured him to offer namaz and participate in community gatherings, and objected to his family’s wish to conduct a Hindu-style wedding.

In a retaliatory move, the woman has now lodged a complaint under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, stating that the man had coerced her into a sexual relationship when she was 17 years old. The complaint was filed at the Gadag Women’s Police Station.

Police have confirmed that both parties have been issued notices for questioning, and a probe is underway.

“This is a highly sensitive case involving allegations from both sides. We are proceeding carefully and verifying all claims,” an investigating officer said.

Earlier, the man had accused the woman and her family of forcibly converting him and filed a case of “love jihad”, a term often used in cases where allegations of religious conversion under the guise of love or marriage are made.

The case has sparked tension in the district, with police maintaining a close watch as investigations continue.