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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Bengaluru, June 30

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday warned that people who fail to ensure their names are included in the electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise could face difficulties in availing government welfare schemes in the future, urging citizens not to ignore the month-long voter verification drive.

As the SIR commenced across Karnataka, Shivakumar appealed to all eligible voters to verify their names in the electoral roll and complete the enumeration process within the prescribed deadline, describing the exercise as crucial to safeguarding democratic rights.

"Your vote is your right to life," he said, asserting that exclusion from the electoral roll could have wider implications beyond voting.

Referring to developments in other states, he claimed that governments were increasingly relying on electoral records while identifying beneficiaries of welfare schemes and warned that those left out of the voters' list could find it difficult to access government assistance in the future.

Shivakumar specifically referred to Karnataka's flagship welfare schemes, including Griha Jyoti, Griha Lakshmi and pension assistance, and urged people not to take the revision process lightly. He said the Karnataka government would extend all necessary assistance to ensure that every eligible citizen remained on the electoral roll.

The Chief Minister said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) would visit households to distribute and collect enumeration forms and appealed to residents to provide accurate personal details along with recent photographs. He also said booth-level help desks and representatives of recognised political parties would be available to assist voters during the exercise.

Stating that Karnataka was under national attention as the revision exercise got underway, Shivakumar urged citizens to protect both their voting rights and democratic participation by cooperating with election officials.
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls began across Karnataka on Tuesday and will continue till July 29. The Election Commission aims to cover around 5.5 crore electors through the exercise and has deployed nearly 59,050 Booth Level Officers for door-to-door verification and data collection.

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