NPP files petition before CBI

Massive rigging and corrupt practices have vitiated DDC polls in District Udhampur: Harsh

 Jammu:   Alleging massive irregularities, rigging and corrupt practices in the conduct of DDC Elections in District Udhampur, a delegation of senior NPP leaders led by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman of the Party submitted a petition in CBI Headquarters Jammu seeking a high level probe through the top investigating agency into the conduct of the said Elections. The delegation made a detailed presentation of the alleged irregularities and sought immediate punitive action against the delinquent officers responsible for subversion of peoples’ mandate. The memorandum read as follows:- “the DDC polls held in District Udhampur in December 2020 had evoked a massive resentment in the said District with people complaining of large scale irregularities, corrupt practices and manipulations in the conduct of the said Elections. Several protests and demonstrations had been held at various places including District Udhampur and District Jammu including dharnas staged outside the Office of J&K State Election Commission (SEC) but of no avail. The complaints lodged by the Panthers Party and others were summarily rejected by authorities concerned without holding any enquiry. Not only were the complaints made by NPP to SEC and District Udhampur authorities during and after the said elections disregarded, but the State Election machinery was seen openly promoting the ruling party candidates and allowing them to brazenly use the administrative paraphernalia in furtherance of their electoral prospects. Aggrieved by the highly apathetic and rather offensive approach of the District Udhampur authorities towards NPP and their pampering of an extremely mollycoddled BJP, the party leadership had decided to legally pursue the matter by firstly moving an RTI application. The disclosures made in belated reply to the said RTI are sensational and reveal irregularities of grave nature having been committed in the process of the DDC polls thus necessitating a high level probe through CBI followed by appropriate action against delinquent authorities.

The reply to RTI application had admitted that there were discrepancies in District Udhampur in the number of votes polled on the day of polling and the votes actually found in the ballot boxes in 11 out of the 14 DDC constituencies of the said District (copy of reply enclosed as Annexure-A). And while there was no difference between the votes polled and votes found in ballot boxes in all other Districts as per the reply of SEC, it was District Udhampur alone where such discrepancies had been noticed. Pertinent to mention that during and after elections, the NPP had raised numerous protests against the Election authorities and District administration for favouring the ruling party besides having facilitated the process of rigging.

Not only the above discrepancies but several other sensational disclosures with regard to conduct of DDC polls in District Udhampur were brought fore through the RTI reply. It was revealed that the decision of mixing of votes of various polling stations was taken on 16-12-2020 after the polling process had concluded in majority of the DDC constituencies as revealed in the said reply (copy enclosed as Annexure-B. The SEC had admitted that no concurrence or consultation was held with the recognized political parties on the subject and the said decision was taken by SEC by overlooking the past precedents and by changing the prevalent practices and norms unilaterally. The reply has further admitted that a meeting was held by DC Udhampur on 21-12-2020, a day before counting of votes with all Candidates/Election agents of various political parties except those of Panthers Party. (A copy of attendance sheet of political invitees enclosed as Annexure-C). The reply has further revealed that the District administration Udhampur had even failed to respond to the complaints and other representations of Panthers Party made during the course of elections. With regard to query raised in the RTI application regarding roofless rooms used for storing ballot boxes, the reply has admitted that the storage of all ballot boxes of various DDC constituencies of District Udhampur was done in several wooden compartments of a multipurpose Hall except those of Chenani (copy of reply enclosed as Annexure-D). There are further reports of several calls having been made to District Election Officer/Deputy Commissioner Udhampur and SSP Udhampur by central Ministers between 18th and 22nd December to reportedly influence them to favour the ruling party by manipulating and subverting the peoples’ mandate. The counting being held on 22nd December, the hefty calls made during the said period are surely a subject matter of probe. A perusal of the call details of the central BJP Ministers to the said officers during the peak of elections could unveil the truth. If the said BJP Ministers had never called the District Officers earlier and such high decibel calls having been made particularly during the aforesaid period surely can’t be dismissed as routine calls especially when the question of fundamental guarantees under the constitution are being alleged to have been violated in the largest democracy of the world. It was certainly a case of ‘quid pro quo’, wherein the BJP leadership and govt functionaries joined hands to defeat the peoples’ mandate. The ruling party leaders were helped in Elections and the Govt Officers were suitably adjusted as a measure of return gift by the ruling party.

With all such irregularities and corrupt practices having been admitted by the SEC in conduct of DDC polls in District Udhampur which remained the centre of controversies even during the said elections, the entire election process gets vitiated and becomes void ab initio. Further needs to mention that while reply to the said RTI was being delayed and denied by SEC, it was only after filing the Appeal against the concerned authorities of SEC that the reply was provided on the 60th day of filing of the said application. And still certain points had remained unanswered and information concealed for which the Panthers Party had decided to approach the appropriate forums with a petition to CBI to take cognizance of fraudulent practices and violations of norms committed in the process of Elections”. Later Mr. Harsh Dev Singh briefed the press about the meeting with CBI authorities.Rajesh Padgotra, Mr. Khajoor Singh (Senior leaders of JKNPP); Mr. Gagan Pratap Singh, Mr. Parshotam Parihar (State Secretaries JKNPP) and Mr. Surinder Chouhan (District President Jammu Rural of JKNPP) were also present in the press conference.