BJP not defending EC on SIR, says Vijayendra; alleges party targeted through FIRs in Karnataka

Vijayapura: BJP Karnataka president B Y Vijayendra on Friday accused the Congress government of targeting his party workers through FIRs over the SIR of electoral rolls.

He said the party was not defending the Election Commission but supporting the exercise to cleanse voter lists.

"The BJP is not trying to defend the Election Commission of India. Our position is that Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a process intended to cleanse electoral rolls and remove irregularities," Vijayendra told a press conference.


He questioned why his party should answer allegations against the SIR exercise when the EC was responsible for conducting it, and accused the Congress government in the state of pressuring the police to register FIRs against BJP workers over Form-7 applications seeking deletion of names from electoral rolls.

Read more: Karnataka: Shivakumar claims attempts made to trap him, ministers through sting operations

Vijayendra said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) involved in the revision process worked under the state government and that Form 7 applications submitted by any political party would be accepted if valid and rejected if incorrect.

"If a Form-7 application is submitted by the BJP or by any other political party, the Returning Officer will accept it if it is valid and reject if it is incorrect," he said.

He accused Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of using the issue to target BJP workers and alleged that the Congress was trying to portray the applications as an attempt to delete AHINDA votes.

Read more: Will march to Jantar Mantar on Oct 10 against SIR: CJP's Abhijit Dipke

AHINDA is Kannada short form for minorities, backward castes and Dalits.

"We have no need to resort to such conspiracies. We have submitted applications wherever there are doubts about entries in the electoral rolls. If the applications are valid, they will be accepted; if they are incorrect, they will be rejected," he said.

Vijayendra denied that the BJP had targeted any particular community, saying the party had flagged deceased voters and duplicate entries.

He also alleged that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were being included in electoral rolls in Bengaluru and other Assembly constituencies in Karnataka.

The Shikaripura MLA referred to interim relief reportedly granted by the Karnataka High Court's Dharwad Bench in a case related to the issue and accused the Congress government of attempting to intimidate BJP workers through police cases.

Vijayendra rejected allegations that the BJP was attempting to topple the Congress government, saying the party had no such need and that people had already decided to vote out what he described as an anti-farmer and anti-poor government.

The chief minister had earlier alleged that attempts were made to carry out a sting operation on him.

Shivakumar has also cautioned his cabinet colleagues to stay alert against any such attempt to destabilise the Congress government in the southern state.