Women allege living voters were shown as 'dead'; seek criminal case against Yatnal

Eight Muslim women from Vijayapura have alleged that they were wrongly shown as "deceased" in documents submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI). They demanded that a criminal case be registered against Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, expelled from the BJP, and those responsible for submitting the alleged bogus death certificates.

The women made the allegations at a press conference by Jagrutha Karnataka, a social-political organisation, here on Wednesday. They also displayed copies of the death certificates and other documents which, they claimed, had been used to show them as dead.

Representatives of the organisation alleged Mr. Yatnal had submitted the list in a letter dated August 31, a week after the publication of the draft electoral rolls on August 24. The organisation questioned how the names of voters across 198 polling stations could have been matched with details of deceased persons within such a short period.

It also questioned how colour photographs from voter ID cards accompanying the list had been obtained, alleging that such photographs were available in the ECI records.

The 'deceased' women

Raziya Sheikh, anganwadi helper and resident of Vijayapura city for nearly 30 years, said she was illiterate and was working to support her family. "A certificate has been submitted claiming that I am dead. I am worried that I may lose my ration card and other government benefits," she said.

Ms. Raziya Sheikh and seven other Muslim women residing in Vijayapura had been shown as "deceased". Mahaboobi Sheikh and Malani Jamadar, who spoke on behalf of the other women, urged the ECI to register FIRs against officials who allegedly issued false death certificates and those who submitted them to the Commission.

The women alleged that an attempt was being made to deprive them of their right to vote because they were Muslims.

Criminal action sought

Jagrutha Karnataka convener H.V. Vasu alleged Mr. Yatnal had submitted a list of 1,054 persons, but death certificates had been attached in only eight cases.

According to Mr. Vasu, discrepancies in the names and the names of husbands or fathers in the documents had resulted in living persons such as Ms. Jamadar, Ms. Mahaboobi Sheikh, and Ms. Raziya Sheikh being shown as dead.

Mr. Vasu also alleged that election officials had acted swiftly after the MLA submitted his letter and demanded that a criminal case be registered against Mr. Yatnal.

Claim over Form 7 applications

Irfan Sheikh, local journalist from Vijayapura, alleged that a total of 13,000 printed Form 7 applications had been submitted to the municipal authorities in two batches of 5,000 and 8,000.

He claimed that the applications were withdrawn on the same evening after the ECI sought an endorsement relating to the self-declaration accompanying the applications. He alleged that the withdrawal was an attempt to prevent the alleged irregularities from coming to light.