K’TAKA CONGRESS ALLEGES DATA THEFT IN VOTERS’ SURVEY

BENGALURU: A political controversy broke out in Karnataka on Thursday over allegations against an NGO for fraudulently collecting private information of voters during a survey.

The Opposition Congress demanded chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s resignation over the matter. The CM, however, refuted the allegations.

According to an investigation by the Newsminute, the NGO — Chilume Educational Cultural and Rural Development Trust — covertly collected personal information from voters in Bengaluru by making their field agents pose as government officials.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said alleged that “the chief minister was the conduit of the electoral fraud,” and said: “There has to be an FIR against Basavaraj Bommai and he should be arrested.”

Bommai hit back saying: “This is a baseless allegation.” He said he would order a probe.