Karnataka Pratirodha protest against SIR tomorrow

The SIR Virodhi Jatyatita Pakshagalu-Janapara Sanghatanegala Okkuta has called for a State-wide protest on Saturday under the banner Karnataka Pratirodha against the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on Thursday, Okkuta members Bheemaraya Tegalathippi, Mahantappa Sanghavi, Lakshman Mandalgera and Renuka Singhe said that the ongoing voter verification exercise can lead to the exclusion of a large number of eligible voters from electoral rolls.

Mr. Tegalathippi clarified that they are not opposed to revising voter lists or removing ineligible voters but are opposed to a “complicated and exclusionary” process that places an undue burden on ordinary citizens.

He claimed that voters are being asked to produce multiple documents to establish eligibility and that even minor discrepancies in names, addresses or dates can result in deletion from voter rolls.

Mr. Mandalgera said that the process will disproportionately affect married women, migrant workers, Dalits, Adivasis, minorities and economically weaker sections of society.

Pointing out that many people work away from their native places, the organisers demanded a minimum six-month period for appeals, corrections and verification.

The Okkuta also expressed concern over the reported use of “logical discrepancy” software tools in voter verification and sought greater transparency in the preparation and revision of electoral rolls.

Among their key demands are the withdrawal of the SIR process, public scrutiny of draft voter lists through Gram Sabhas and Ward Sabhas and making electoral rolls available in machine-readable formats to ensure transparency in additions and deletions.

The Okkuta members urged the State government to intervene to ensure that no eligible voter is denied the right to vote due to procedural difficulties or lack of documents.

They said that as part of the State-wide Karnataka Pratirodha campaign, protests and public awareness programmes will be held across Karnataka on Saturday.

In Kalaburagi too, the Okkuta will organise protest demonstrations and awareness drive to inform citizens about their voting rights and the possible impact of the SIR exercise on ordinary voters.