Belagavi, Dec 11 (IANS) Karnataka BJP slammed Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday for criticising Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his statement that former prime ministers Jawharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi were involved in vote theft.

The party has shared a purported video of Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara, who is heard stating that before EVMs were introduced, a few leaders used to be present at voting booths and cast votes themselves.

Responding to Amit Shah’s statement, Deputy CM Shivakumar said, “Amit Shah must have basic common sense. Ballot papers were used during their period; how is vote theft possible in such a paper system?”

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, R. Ashoka, took to the social media platform X and responded, “Probably Shivakumar should first get some basic knowledge about his own party’s history before lecturing the Union Home Minister.”

Ashoka pointed out that his own senior colleague, former Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President and Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara, has exposed the truth in a recorded speech before Congress karyakartas.

In the video, Parameshwara stated, “There were no EVMs then… only ballot papers. Two or three people used to sit inside and get the voting done.”

Ashoka further stated, “Before sermonising about ‘vote chori’, maybe recall how Congress perfected the art of booth capturing and ballot-stuffing long before EVMs existed.”

He also alleged that Congress’s track record is well known: ballot box stuffing, booth capturing, fake voters, bogus counting, and proudly admitting it on stage.

He claimed that this isn’t the BJP’s allegation – this is Congress’s own Home Minister confessing on camera.

“Instead of questioning Amit Shah, Shivakumar should ask his seniors about the Congress’s Vote Chori,” he said.

The purported video of Parameshwara had surfaced a few months ago, and Parameshwara had denied the allegations.

–IANS

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