Bengaluru, June 30 (UNI)

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission, alleging that it had become a "puppet in the hands of the government" and claiming the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was being used as a political exercise to help the ruling dispensation retain power.

Addressing reporters here, Kharge questioned the independence of the constitutional body, accusing it of ignoring serious legal and constitutional objections raised by the Karnataka government while proceeding with the voter roll revision.

"The Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commission are puppets in the hands of the government. It is very clear that the government has no popular vote among the people. That is why they are resorting to these kinds of exercises to ensure they remain in power," he alleged.

Kharge said the Congress had submitted 12 objections to the manner in which the Special Intensive Revision was being carried out and had expected the Election Commission to respond to the concerns formally conveyed by the Karnataka Chief Secretary.

"We had raised 12 clear objections and were expecting the Election Commission to reply to what our Chief Secretary had written. Unfortunately, they have not done so," he said.

According to Kharge, the objections involved legal, constitutional and procedural issues, including the need for greater transparency in the electoral roll revision process.

"We have asked legal questions and constitutional questions. We have asked them to revise the entire process, make it transparent, ensure software audits are conducted transparently and ensure the entire exercise is carried out transparently. Unfortunately, they have chosen not to reply. We will evaluate the situation and decide our next course of action in the coming days," he said.

Kharge also questioned the basis on which voters were being identified for verification, criticising the use of the term "logical discrepancy", which he said lacked a clear definition.

"What is the definition of logical discrepancy? Does anybody know? In the name of logical discrepancy, anybody can be left out," he said, warning that vague criteria could result in the exclusion of genuine voters.

Maintaining that the Congress was not opposed to cleansing the electoral rolls, Kharge said the Election Commission's primary responsibility was to ensure that every eligible citizen remained on the voter list.

"It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to maintain a hygienic voter list. We are not asking them to include non-citizens. We are only saying that no citizen should be left behind," he said.

Replying to a separate question on notices issued over his remarks on the RSS, Kharge alleged that such actions were intended to intimidate critics.

"There is nothing new about these notices. Every time we question the RSS logically or raise issues concerning it, they use such means to counter us, keep us quiet and intimidate us," he said.

He asserted that legal notices would not deter him from questioning the organisation's activities. "When they cannot answer you legally or logically, this is how they go. They want to silence us. They are mistaken if they think they are going to stop us from asking questions about the RSS and its operations. I have nothing to fear as long as the Constitution is by my side," he added.

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New Delhi, Agency

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the implementation of the Centre's proposed rural employment programme, alleging that the government has effectively dismantled the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and deprived rural India of its "right to work."

In a post on social media platform X, Kharge questioned the Centre over pending MGNREGA payments, the funding pattern of the proposed Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), and what he described as measures that would adversely affect farmers and rural labourers.

"Mr. @narendramodi, You have effectively ended MGNREGA, taking away the 'right to work' from rural India," Kharge said, before raising a series of questions directed at the Prime Minister.

Citing a reply presented in the Lok Sabha, Kharge alleged that dues amounting to Rs 17,144.13 crore remained pending for 34 states and union Territories as of March 2026, including Rs 7,846.25 crore in wage liabilities. "Workers have still not received the wages they are entitled to. Why?" he asked.

The Congress chief further alleged that while the Centre was rolling out the new VB-G RAM G scheme from July 1, it had yet to clear pending MGNREGA payments to states. He claimed Karnataka was awaiting Rs 700 crore, Jharkhand Rs 900 crore, while Telangana, Tamil Nadu and several other states were also yet to receive their dues.

Kharge also criticised the proposed funding structure of the new scheme, claiming that unlike MGNREGA, under which the Centre bore the full wage cost, the proposed framework shifts 40 per cent of the total expenditure to states. Referring to information obtained through the Right to Information Act, he said even BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, along with Jharkhand, had expressed concerns over the financial burden and sought a review of the funding pattern.

He also objected to the proposed provision for a 60-day "blackout" period during the peak agricultural season, claiming that several states had opposed the move. "Why is the Central government imposing this anti-worker arrangement on farmers and rural labourers?" he asked.

The Congress president further claimed that implementing the promise of providing 125 days of employment would impose an additional burden of Rs 20,037 crore on Madhya Pradesh and Rs 15,939 crore on Bihar, questioning whether the Centre intended to push states into financial distress to implement its new scheme.

Kharge also reiterated the Congress party's demand for a minimum daily wage of Rs 400 under the rural employment programme. He noted that at least five states had sought higher wage rates, alleging that Bihar wanted wages raised from Rs 255 to Rs 413, while Jammu and Kashmir had sought an increase from Rs 272 to Rs 311.

Referring to the prevailing monsoon situation, Kharge claimed that rainfall in June had been 42 per cent below normal, Kharif sowing had declined by 22.7 per cent and more than 300 districts could face drought conditions. He alleged that ending MGNREGA amid a worsening rural livelihood crisis amounted to an attack on workers, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and the poor.

"Mr. Modi, please answer," Kharge said.

The Centre has maintained that the proposed VB-G RAM G framework is intended to strengthen rural livelihoods and improve implementation mechanisms. The Congress, however, has consistently opposed the proposed legislation, alleging that it weakens the rights-based framework of MGNREGA and shifts financial and administrative burdens onto the states.

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