Civil society groups staged a protest at Bengaluru's Freedom Park on Saturday against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, demanding that voters be given six months to submit their documents. The protesters recalled the recent deletion of over 90 lakh voters in West Bengal and demanded that such an incident not be repeated in Karnataka.
Key Demands of the Protesters
The protesters urged the Election Commission to extend the deadline for submission of documents from the current 30 days to six months. They argued that a shorter timeline would disenfranchise many eligible voters, especially those from marginalized communities. "We cannot allow the same mistakes that happened in West Bengal to be repeated here," said a spokesperson for the group.
Concerns Over Voter Deletions
During the protest, participants highlighted the deletion of over 90 lakh voters in West Bengal during a similar revision exercise. They demanded transparency in the process and proper verification before any names are removed from the electoral rolls. "The Election Commission must ensure that no eligible voter is left out," added another activist.
Government Response
Officials from the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer's office stated that the SIR is a routine exercise to clean up duplicate and dead entries. They assured that adequate time would be given for objections and claims. However, the protesters remained unconvinced, vowing to continue their agitation until their demands are met.
The protest saw participation from various civil society organizations, including Janaadhikara Sangha and Election Watch Karnataka. They plan to submit a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer later this week.
