INDIA Bloc to launch campaign against SIR in Karnataka, demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation
Bengaluru, Oct 16 (IANS) The INDIA Bloc parties in Karnataka have decided to launch a coordinated statewide campaign under the slogan ‘Save the Vote, Save the Country’ to oppose the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls undertaken by the Election Commission of India, demand the restoration of eligible voters’ names and seek the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The decision was taken at a state-level meeting of the INDIA Bloc held at the Legislators’ Home in Bengaluru on Friday under the leadership of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, B.K. Hariprasad. The meeting discussed the SIR process, the alleged deletion of over 13 crore eligible voters’ names from electoral rolls in the country and the functioning of the Election Commission.
Addressing the meeting, Hariprasad said the right to vote was the foundation of democracy and that the exclusion of genuine and eligible voters from electoral rolls could not be accepted under any circumstances.
“The SIR process must be scrapped completely. Around 13 crore voters have been removed from electoral rolls across the country, and the names of eligible voters must be restored. The INDIA Bloc’s clear stand is that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar should resign,” he said.
Accusing the Union government of adopting an anti-democratic and fascist approach, Hariprasad alleged that the Election Commission, which was expected to function as an independent constitutional body, was acting in favour of a political party.
He called on democratic forces to set aside their political differences and unite against any attempt to take away voters’ rights.
The meeting decided to constitute a coordination committee comprising representatives of the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Samajwadi Party, Forward Bloc and other constituent parties to strengthen the INDIA Bloc’s campaign in Karnataka.
The committee will formulate the campaign strategy and organise public mobilisation across the state, from Bengaluru to district and taluk levels.
The meeting also decided that representatives of all INDIA Bloc constituent parties from Karnataka would participate in the large-scale protest scheduled to be held at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on November 1.
As a follow-up, a massive protest rally will be organised in Bengaluru on November 5 against the SIR process and demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. The campaign will subsequently be expanded to district and taluk levels, Hariprasad said.
He asserted that holding protests was a democratic right of every citizen and that restrictions could not silence people’s voices.
“The struggle to protect the Constitution and the right to vote will not be stopped under any circumstances. This is not merely a struggle by political parties, but a fight to protect the existence of democracy in the country and the constitutional rights of citizens,” he said.
Leaders of the constituent parties discussed the impact of the SIR process, alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls and strategies for the campaign. They stressed the need to bring farmers, workers, women, students, youth and progressive organisations together to turn the campaign into a mass movement.
Those who attended the meeting included AICC secretary Gopinath Palaniappan, CPI(M) state secretary K. Prakash, CPI state secretary Sathi Sundaresh, Samajwadi Party state president Manjappa Yadav and representatives of CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc and other INDIA Bloc constituents.
–IANS
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