Bengaluru NGO accused of stealing voters info, BBMP cancels permissions

The BBMP has cancelled permissions given to an NGO after it was uncovered that it was collected personal information from a horde of voters.

Bengaluru's civic body - the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike - on Wednesday disallowed a non-governmental organisation (NGO) from conducting what it said was an awareness campaign in the city on the importance of voting.

The BBMP has clarified that permissions were given to the organisation solely for ‘conducting the House to House visit to create awareness towards applying online applications via Voter Helpline Mobile App pertaining to Voter ID.’ (HT Archives)

Permission was revoked after The News Minute alleged the Chilume Educational Cultural and Rural Development Trust had collected personal information from thousands while posing as government agents, and that this constituted data theft and privacy breach.

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Members of the organisation were reportedly equipped with copies of a 'government order' and fake ID cards for hundreds of agents that claimed they were 'booth level officers'.

They then collected voters' personal information - including caste, mother tongue, marital status, age, gender, employment, and education details, as well as Aadhaar, phone and voter ID numbers and e-mail addresses, the report said.

The civicy body has clarified permissions had been given solely for 'conducting the house-to-house visit to create awareness (for) online applications via Voter Helpline Mobile App pertaining to Voter ID'. and said, "The above said trust has violated the conditions of the permission. Therefore, the permission has been withdrawn with immediate effect."

The BBMP also warned residents not to share personal information with the organisation; "We hereby appeal the general public not to share their voter ID details to the representatives of the trust," the statement said.

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Meanwhile - with an Assembly election due next year - the Congress was quick to attack the ruling BJP; Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, "Fraud, Impersonation, Stealing Voter Data & Conspiracy of Bommai - BBMP exposed. 40% Commission Sarkara & its officials, BBMP & Election Authority are partners in crime in trampling democracy. FIR must be immediately lodged against CM Bommai & all others named in Our Statement."

"Shocking expose has revealed that those sitting in the citadels of power, including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, are overtly and covertly responsible for theft of voter data, fraud and impersonation through brazen misdemeanors," he said.

"FACTS 1. Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai is Minister Incharge of BBMP. Chief Commissioner of BBMP, Tushar Giri Nath is also the election officer."