Bengaluru: The SIR issue in Karnataka has turned out to be the battle between the State government and the Election Commission, with Chief Minister D K Shivakumar , along with his cabinet colleagues staging a protest, stating that he would not withdraw the protest till the Karnataka CEO orders an inquiry and registers criminal case against the offenders using Form 7 in bulk to remove names of legitimate voters from the electoral list.
Also Watch:
Stating that the BJP and JD(S) had hatched a conspiracy to ensure that the names of members from minority community, SC/ST and Backward communities from the electoral list, by filing Form 7 in bulk.
Earlier, leading the cabinet delegation to the Karnataka Chief Election Officer Anbu Kumar, D K Shivakumar submitted a memorandum outlining the discrepancies in the ongoing SIR process.
Citing the examples of constituencies like Belagavi North, Bableshwar, Mudigere, Balki and Narasimha Raja, the chief minister raised seven points to prove his arguments.
A large number of Form 7 have been filed in bulk during the last days of the prescribed period and most of the voters proposed to be deleted belong to minority, SC/ST and backward class community voters. The pattern needs a thorough investigation, the Chief Minister urged.
In several cases, the names, EPIC details and other particulars of the voters proposed to be deleted have come preprinted on the Form 7 application, while the details of the objectors were subsequently added. The question is how the details of the particular voters, including EPIC came in the form of pre-printed forms? Since such electoral details are maintained within the Election Commission's electoral roll systems, the source, access and possible dissemination of this data require a thorough examination from the perspective of data privacy and security, he noted.
Speaking to the media before the protest, Shivakumar said the Election Commission was a constitutional body and that the government respected its authority.
“We have explained the irregularities taking place in the state. They have seen the evidence with their own eyes. BJP leaders have admitted their involvement and have asked that no action be taken against them and that the applications they submitted be returned. A conspiracy was hatched to delete 10,000 to 20,000 votes across all 224 constituencies,” he alleged.
Shivakumar claimed that around 13,000 Form 7 applications had been submitted in two Assembly constituencies in Ballari and were subsequently withdrawn. He also alleged that around 13,000 applications had been submitted in Vijayapura, excluding the Babaleshwar constituency, and later withdrawn with requests that no action be taken.
“We have submitted documents and videos relating to Mysuru, Belagavi and Bhalki constituencies. They have contacted senior officials. I will not disclose the details of those discussions. They have sought time until tomorrow,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the Election Commission had sought a report from the respective Deputy Commissioner. “If they do not trust the evidence we have submitted, let them call for the report. Our struggle will not stop until a serious investigation is ordered,” he said.
Alleging an attempt to deprive voters of their franchise, Shivakumar said those behind the alleged irregularities had committed a serious offence against the democratic process. “They have attempted to steal the voting rights of electors. This is vote theft,” he added.
