KPCC Chief Fears Conspiracy To Delete Poor Voters Through Sir Exercise in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Election Commission of India (ECI) in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister and president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) D.K. Shivakumar on Friday feared a conspiracy to delete voters of poor families by ECI through this exercise.

“I have asked party MLAs and Booth Level Agents to be vigilant over the SIR exercise in Karnataka,’ said Shivakumar in a chat with reporters in Bengaluru and stated “We have seen such a thing (deletion of poor voters) happening in other States. If the right to vote is lost, citizens will be deprived of many government benefits such as pension and Rs 2,000 cash benefit scheme for a female head of a family.”

“We have come forward to create an awareness on SIR exercise,” he said, stating “Meetings are being fixed and the dates have already been announced.”

In the cabinet meeting on Thursday, a lengthy discussion took place on SIR exercise in Karnataka wherein the cabinet meeting decided to initiate steps to protect the right to vote of citizens. The cabinet meeting took note of SIR conducted in West Bengal which went for Assembly polls in April/May and dwelt on removal of as many as 27 lakh voters there.

The cabinet meeting would take a call (a resolution) on SIR in the coming days. Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil said the cabinet meeting discussed in detail the conduct of SIR in Karnataka and a decision to knock the doors of the Supreme Court over the “disastrous” effect of SIR exercise.

Patil said “It needs to be discussed in detail over the transparency in the conduct of SIR exercise before a decision is taken.” He assured to arrive at a decision of SIR soon.