Citizens for Democracy secretary and former State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar demanded that the State government constitute an independent high-level committee comprising a retired Director General of Police (DGP) and High Court judges to inquire into recently filed First Information Reports (FIRs) to ascertain whether they were genuine or politically motivated.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion of opening a voter help centre in Guntur on November 12, Mr. Ramesh Kumar said that there are apprehensions among political parties, leaders and cadres that the State government was misusing the police force to suppress the voice of the opposition by filing false cases. To maintain transparency, accountability and credibility of the institutions, all these alleged politically motivated cases must be verified by a high-level committee, Mr. Ramesh Kumar said.
Along with the organisation’s joint secretary V. Lakshmana Reddy, Mr. Ramesh Kumar said that the voter help centre would work to verify voter lists, help citizens in enrolling, create awareness and undertake relevant activities. He also said that their members will undertake a field verification of voter lists in three Assembly constituencies in the State from three different regions and will submit a report to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Mr. Ramesh Kumar further added that removing a citizen’s vote by filing Form 7 with a motive is a crime. He said that if anybody finds out that their vote was removed without their knowledge, they could complain with the appropriate authorities and the Election Commission of India would initiate action against those responsible. He said that a person should not upload more than five Form 7 applications, and there are certain exemptions for politically recognised cadres. He suggested that the new voters be enrolled in the electoral rolls only after consulting the Block-Level Officers (BLOs).
Reacting to reports of voter profiling, Mr. Ramesh Kumar alleged that certain political agencies like Raminfo Ltd., Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and others were indulging in such illegal practices and added that these organisations have been collecting private information of individuals and profiling them to favour the ruling YSR Congress Party.
