Bengaluru, Sep 30 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday said every genuine voter’s right to vote must be protected and sought constituency-wise details of objections filed through Form 7 during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
In a statement posted on social media, Shivakumar said he had asked the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to provide details of Form 7 objections, including the number of bulk objections and those filed without specifying the prescribed reasons or providing the mandatory particulars required for seeking the deletion of voters.
He expressed concern that bulk objections could be used to target voters belonging to minority communities, Dalits, tribals and other backward communities.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns over objections submitted with pre-printed voter details, saying such instances raised questions about a possible systematic attempt to undermine the SIR process.
Shivakumar said he had called for the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) against those found to be involved in criminal activities related to the process.
He said attempts to manipulate electoral rolls and communalise the process could not be allowed.
He also directed that copies of such FIRs be sent to the Chief Secretary.
Emphasising the need to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, Shivakumar said it must remain transparent and fair, without any attempt to disenfranchise genuine voters.
The statement comes amid concerns over objections seeking to delete names from electoral rolls during the SIR exercise in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Citizens’ Voter Watch Committee and the SIR Opposition Coalition, led by multilingual actor and social activist Prakash Raj, met Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at his Sadashivanagar residence on Wednesday and submitted an “SIR Audit Report”.
Noor Sridhar, M. Lakshman, Veerasangayya and others were present.
In Karnataka, the SIR exercise has drawn political attention over concerns about possible deletion of genuine voters, particularly among vulnerable communities.
Form 7 is used to submit claims or objections seeking the deletion of names from the electoral roll, and such objections are subject to verification under election rules.
The current controversy centres on allegations of bulk Form 7 objections seeking voter deletions and concerns that genuine voters could be removed.
The Election Commission’s verification process and how it handles objections are therefore central to the debate.
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has also demanded the scrapping of the SIR process in Karnataka.
–IANS
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