Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy alleged that Karnataka's ongoing SIR is being misused to verify illegal Bangladeshi migrants as voters
Bengaluru: Union Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Karnataka Congress government, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being manipulated to facilitate the inclusion of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the voters’ list. Claiming that genuine voters are being subjected to strict scrutiny while illegal immigrants are allegedly receiving easy verification, Kumaraswamy termed the entire exercise a “massive electoral scam” and demanded immediate intervention by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy alleged that large-scale irregularities had surfaced in Ramanagara district, where the voter verification process was allegedly being carried out in violation of Election Commission guidelines. He claimed to possess video evidence showing the manner in which the verification exercise was being conducted and urged the ECI to initiate an independent inquiry.
According to Kumaraswamy, the prescribed procedure requires Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to visit every household individually to verify voter details. However, he alleged that instead of conducting door-to-door verification, thousands of people were allegedly assembled at a community hall in Tippu Nagar, where voter verification was being completed in bulk.
He alleged that this method had created an opportunity for illegal Bangladeshi migrants to obtain voter verification with ease, raising serious questions over the credibility of the SIR process.
“The Election Commission has laid down a transparent procedure for voter verification. Instead of following that process, verification is allegedly being carried out collectively, making it easier for illegal migrants to enter the electoral rolls,” Kumaraswamy alleged.
The Union Minister further accused the Congress government of compromising the sanctity of the electoral process not only in Ramanagara but across several districts in Karnataka.
Making a serious allegation, Kumaraswamy claimed that more than 25 lakh Bangladeshi nationals had been living in Karnataka over the past four to five years under the protection of the Congress government. He further alleged that over 10,000 such persons were residing in Ramanagara district alone and that attempts were being made to include them in the electoral rolls through the ongoing revision exercise. He also alleged that fabricated supporting documents were being created to facilitate their inclusion and claimed the exercise was taking place under the influence of the Chief Minister’s Office. However, Kumaraswamy did not publicly produce documentary evidence to substantiate these allegations beyond stating that he possessed video recordings of the verification process.
Demanding strict action, Kumaraswamy called for the immediate suspension of the Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner and disciplinary proceedings against officials allegedly responsible for procedural violations.
“The Deputy Commissioner must be suspended immediately. Officials who have failed to discharge their constitutional responsibilities should be removed from service,” he said.
The JD(S) leader further accused the Congress of intimidating people by creating fear that government welfare guarantees could be withdrawn if they failed to participate in the voter verification exercise.
According to him, such tactics undermine democratic principles and amount to political misuse of an administrative exercise intended to ensure the purity of electoral rolls.
Kumaraswamy also criticised Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, alleging that the SIR exercise had become politicised. He said the Chief Minister should have encouraged citizens to cooperate with the Election Commission strictly in accordance with its prescribed procedures instead of allegedly linking the exercise with welfare benefits.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had urged all eligible voters to submit their Enumeration Forms within the stipulated time, warning that failure to do so could result in deletion of names from the electoral rolls. He clarified that family members could submit forms on behalf of relatives who were away for work and stressed that only authorised Booth Level Officers should handle the verification process.
Shivakumar also announced that the forthcoming Assembly session had been deferred to August in view of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise, enabling elected representatives and officials to focus on completion of the voter verification process.
