Prahlad Joshi reaches Election Commission on SIR issue, blames government!

The political controversy regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Karnataka is continuously deepening. In this series, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi held a meeting with the Election Commission on Tuesday. Speaking to IANS after the meeting, he verbally attacked the Karnataka government and Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

He alleged that efforts are being made to systematically influence the process of purification of voter list and the rules laid down by the Election Commission are not being followed.

Prahlad Joshi said that he has drawn the attention of the Election Commission to the complaints in which it has been claimed that the process of voter verification is being conducted en masse at different places. Forms are being collected and filled by people at Madrassas, Mosques, Dargahs, houses of Mutawallis and Mullahs as well as at the residences of Congress leaders.

As per the clear guidelines of the Election Commission, the Booth Level Officer (BLO) should visit each voter’s house at least three times to verify, give the enumeration form and get it filled and returned. But, at many places this process is not being followed and people are being called at one place and the documents are being filled en masse.

The Union Minister claimed that when booth level agents of BJP or other opposition parties record these activities, they are allegedly told to complain wherever they want, adding that there is no fear.

Prahlad Joshi also alleged that he has received information that the Karnataka government has given verbal instructions to some officials that the names of dead, transferred, illegal or illegal migrant voters should not be removed from the voter list. If this happens, it will affect the entire voter list purification process and adversely affect the objective of the Election Commission.

He alleged that the aim of the state government is to derail this entire process. In view of the Bengaluru Municipal Corporation elections, while the Election Commission is already running the SIR, efforts are being made through the State Election Commission to introduce a similar process in a different manner in 27 wards. This sends the message that an attempt is being made to weaken and thwart the voter list purification campaign.

Calling it a big conspiracy, Prahlad Joshi said that an attempt is being made to sabotage the efforts of the Election Commission to make the voter list pure and transparent. If the fairness of the voter list is affected, it will have a direct impact on the democratic process and transparency of elections.

When he was asked whether many government officials were also involved in this whole matter and were allegedly working at the behest of DK Shivakumar, he said that he was confident that the same was happening. He claimed that DK Shivakumar himself has publicly said that if anyone’s name is removed from the voter list, his government will not take responsibility for it.