Not opposed to SIR, but EC must address Congress' objections first: Priyank Kharge

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday said the state government was not opposed to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls but urged the Election Commission (EC) to respond to the Congress' objections before proceeding with the exercise.

With the SIR process scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Kharge said the Karnataka Cabinet had submitted eight objections to the Chief Election Commissioner, seeking clarity on issues including "logical discrepancy", issuance of legal notices, speaking orders and access to tribunals before voters' names were deleted from the electoral rolls.

"We are not saying that the SIR should not be conducted. Voter roll revision is compulsory, and it is the right of the Election Commission. More importantly, it is their responsibility to provide a clean and accurate voter list," Kharge told reporters.

He said the Congress had also submitted its objections to the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer but had not received any response.

"You (ECI) cannot deprive a person of their voting rights merely because of a spelling mistake," he said, adding that the party wanted the poll panel to address its concerns before commencing the exercise.

Kharge said the Congress would continue its public awareness campaign on the issue while also exploring legal options.

Questioning the reported use of artificial intelligence in the revision process, he asked who had audited the software and how it functioned.

Referring to the deletion of around 8.9 million voters elsewhere, he alleged that affected electors had not been given an opportunity to approach a tribunal before their names were removed.

On the proposed acquisition of land for an artificial intelligence township in Bidadi near Bengaluru, Kharge said no farmer would be compelled to part with land.

"Nobody can force farmers to sell their land. We have never tried to do that, nor will we," he said, adding that land would be acquired only with the consent of landowners and in accordance with the law.

Responding to the BJP's criticism over the development of the Kalyana Karnataka region, Kharge said the Congress government had allocated Rs 5,000 crore for the region and accused the previous BJP government of failing to make comparable investments.

On the Centre's replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission (Gramin), Kharge alleged that the Union government had unconstitutionally shifted 40 per cent of the financial burden of the rural employment guarantee scheme to the states without consultation. He said Karnataka was considering legal action over the issue.