Mangaluru blast ‘planted’ to divert attention from voter data theft: DKShi

Bengaluru: The Congress’s Karnataka unit president D K Shivakumar on Thursday charged that the cooker blast in Mangaluru was ‘planted’ to deviate public attention from the voter data theft scam.

The Congress leader said he sought to know whether the cooker blast was as big as the terrorist attack in Mumbai, Delhi or Kashmir. According to him, the cooker blast was a ‘mistake’ committed by someone.

Shivakumar was referring to the November 19 blast in Mangaluru, in which the blast accused Mohammed Shariq allegedly blew up the cooker bomb in an autorickshaw, badly injuring himself and the driver. Police called it a terrorist act based on the material evidences found from the spot.

“Today, you (BJP government) are only trying to deviate (public attention). At the time of ‘VoteGate’ scam, the cooker blast happened,” Shivakumar said during an interaction with reporters here.

“It (blast) was planted. The Director General of Police rushed (after the blast). Whose attention are you trying to deviate? What are you trying to do? Are people fools?…,” Shivakumar said.

He also questioned the way Shariq was projected as a terrorist by the investigation agencies.

The Congress leader questioned the usage of term terrorist against Shariq and even sought to know whether the blast accused fit in the definition of a terrorist.

“The DGP said he (Shariq) is a big terrorist. Who are terrorists? Please let me know. Who asked the DGP to declare himself (on his own) that he (Shariq) is a terrorist without investigation? What investigation did they (police) do? How many days did they take (to arrive at a conclusion)?” Shivakumar said.

He questioned the way the incident was projected.

“Who has been called a terrorist? If they (police) had gone into details, what they showed on TV and print media, was it a terrorist act like what had happened in Mumbai, Delhi or anywhere or on the border of this country like Kashmir, Pulwama or anything? Nothing is there.”

Asked about his assumption behind projecting the blast as a big terrorist incident, he said it was a cover-up exercise of the government.

“It was done because (of) ‘vote gate’. They (BJP) wanted to steal the votes Never in this history of democracy such an experiment had ever taken place to steal votes as has happened in our country,” Shivakumar said.

Congress has charged that the BJP government roped in a private entity Chilume Trust to steal voter data in Bengaluru and elsewhere in Karnataka and clandestinely carry out addition and deletion of votes from the electoral roll.

Based on a police complaint from the government authorities, the Chilume Trust director and an executive have been arrested while investigation is underway.

State Home Minister Araga Jnanendra condemned Shivakumar’s statement.

“I was deeply hurt after seeing Shivakumar’s statement in media. This cannot be a statement by a person occupying a responsible position. I condemn it because this is an issue related to internal security. This (terror attack) is a situation where we have to rise above politics,” Jnanendra told reporters.

Former chief minister B S Yediyurappa said Shivakumar has a habit of speaking irresponsibly and refused to comment on his statement.
State Revenue Minister R Ashoka, too, said such a statement from the State president of a national party was uncalled for.

“One should display unity when it comes to the national security. If you have any document to show regarding the voter data stealing, then you speak about it in the Assembly, Lok Sabha and go to people,” Ashoka said.

He said the statement that the BJP used the terrorist to cover-up something shows foolishness and demanded that Shivakumar apologise.