Bengaluru: The fight over voter rolls is heading for the national capital. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced on Sunday that Congress legislators from the state will be in New Delhi on Monday to join the All India Congress Committee’s protest against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and he said he would personally lead from the front.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the Congress would hold its own demonstration on October 12 to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the roll revision exercise. “Tomorrow, our legislators will be in Delhi. I’m also going to Delhi. We will fight for the rights of the voters,” he said, adding that every voter in the country must be protected.
The Chief Minister struck an emotional chord when he spoke about what he called the deletion of names from electoral rolls in Karnataka. “You cannot delete voters from electoral rolls. How can you delete the names of voters in Karnataka? This is not democracy. We have to protect the right to vote of Dalits, minorities and backward-class people,” he said.
Shivakumar slams curbs on Jantar Mantar protesters
The announcement came a day after Delhi witnessed heavy police deployment, mass detentions and tense scenes around Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) had called a rally demanding the CEC’s resignation. Shivakumar condemned the action against the demonstrators, saying peaceful protest was a democratic right that no government could take away.
“It is unfortunate that this type of incident is going on in the country. In a democracy, everyone can protest. They have their voice. No one can stop their voice,” the Chief Minister said. When asked whether the Congress backed the CJP’s protest, he drew a clear line: “They are doing it on their own. We don’t want to stop them. Congress party will do it on their own. Some of our INDIA bloc allies are going. It is their right.”
The remark about “some of our INDIA bloc allies” is significant. On Saturday, leaders like AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, CPI(M) leader MA Baby, former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several Trinamool MPs were detained during the Delhi protests.
Not the first time Karnataka has raised the issue
This is not a new battle for Shivakumar. Earlier this month, on October 1, the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues staged a dharna on the premises of the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Bengaluru, demanding that a criminal case be registered over what they called a conspiracy to delete eligible voters’ names using Form 7 applications.
Shivakumar has frequently travelled to Delhi for Congress agitations under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, particularly those targeting the BJP-led central government and the Election Commission over alleged “vote chori”.
What is the SIR controversy about?
The Special Intensive Revision is a door-to-door exercise by the Election Commission to update electoral rolls. The opposition alleges it is being used to delete genuine voters, particularly Dalits, minorities and backward-class communities, from the lists. The Congress and its INDIA bloc partners have been demanding an immediate halt to the exercise and the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
The Election Commission has maintained that SIR is a routine, transparent process meant to clean up rolls. But the opposition’s campaign, which gained fresh momentum after the heavy-handed police action on Saturday, has turned it into a national political flashpoint.
BJP hits back
The BJP has dismissed the opposition’s charges. Party MP Bansuri Swaraj on Sunday alleged that a “competition of anarchy” was emerging between Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal after voters had “rejected” both, while BJP MP Kangana Ranaut accused the Congress leader of using provocative language to incite people. The BJP’s position is that the opposition is manufacturing controversy to hide its electoral failures.
What happens on Monday
Monday is shaping up to be a busy day in Delhi. Apart from the Congress protest, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that he and Rahul Gandhi will meet Chief Justice of India Surya Kant between 4 pm and 5 pm to raise concerns over democratic rights, police crackdowns on demonstrators and the functioning of the Election Commission. The opposition has asked all its MPs to stay in Delhi for the day.
FAQs
Why is DK Shivakumar going to Delhi on October 12?
The Karnataka Chief Minister announced that Congress legislators from the state will join the party’s protest in New Delhi on Monday against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demand the CEC’s resignation.
What is the SIR controversy?
SIR is the Election Commission’s door-to-door revision of electoral rolls. The opposition alleges genuine voters, especially Dalits, minorities and backward-class citizens, are being deleted from the lists.
Does the Congress support the CJP’s Jantar Mantar protest?
Shivakumar said the CJP is agitating on its own and the Congress is holding its own separate protest, while condemning the police curbs on all peaceful demonstrators.
What else is the INDIA bloc planning on Monday?
Rahul Gandhi announced a protest march, and Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge will meet the Chief Justice of India between 4 pm and 5 pm over democratic rights and poll process concerns.
What did the BJP say?
BJP leaders dismissed the agitation, with Bansuri Swaraj alleging a “competition of anarchy” between opposition leaders and Kangana Ranaut accusing Rahul Gandhi of provoking the public.
Stay with Informeia for live updates from Monday’s Delhi protest. What do you think of the opposition’s campaign against the voter roll revision? Tell us in the comments.
