Bengaluru, Oct 6 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar accused the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) workers on Tuesday of forcibly snatching and burning over one lakh Form-7 voter deletion applications from Booth Level Officers (BLOs) following the registration of FIRs.

Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, the Chief Minister termed the coordinated submission and subsequent withdrawal of voter deletion forms a “big criminal conspiracy” aimed at manipulating the electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

“Workers should tell who gave them the forms. Investigation is required,” Shivakumar stated, demanding that opposition cadres disclose the source of the pre-filled Form-7s and voter data.

His allegations come amid a political dispute over bulk Form-7 applications filed during the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in Karnataka.

Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukkumar said that no voter has so far been deleted based on Form-7 objections and that applications will be examined according to due procedure.

Shivakumar alleged that BJP and JD (S) workers had been given between 500 and 3,000 Form-7 applications at the constituency level and claimed that some workers had communicated to him about how the alleged operation was carried out.

He claimed that after he visited the Election Commission, the workers allegedly returned to BLOs and “snatched” and “pulled” back the Form-7 applications submitted in bulk.

“They have burnt them. All these things happened. In all places they have collected back more than a lakh such forms, threatening the BLOs,” he alleged.

The chief minister said the alleged withdrawal of the forms itself raised questions about who had supplied them and why they were distributed in such large numbers.

“Workers should tell who gave them Form-7 and investigation is required,” he said.

Shivakumar also alleged that some Form-7 applications falsely declared living persons dead. He said some of those who allegedly submitted the forms were unaware of what they were signing or the meaning of the markings on the forms.

He questioned how the workers obtained the details of voters, including their names and other electoral information, and said the source of the forms and the voter data used in them should be investigated.

The allegations came days after Shivakumar led a protest at the office of Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer, demanding action over alleged bulk and non-genuine Form-7 applications.

Following the protest, the CEO directed election officials to initiate action against applicants found to have knowingly made false statements or declarations, after an inquiry and in accordance with the prescribed procedure.

As of October 4, Karnataka had received 91,278 Form-7 applications during the SIR process. The CEO clarified that filing an objection does not automatically result in deletion of a name. The concerned Electoral Registration Officer must issue a notice, conduct a hearing and verify the relevant documents before deciding whether the name should be deleted.

Shivakumar said he did not want any voter to be deprived of the right to vote and asserted that the State government had a responsibility to protect all voters, regardless of their political affiliation.

“I don’t want to misuse any votes. No names should be deleted,” the CM said.

He accused the BJP and JD(S) of trying to create problems in the electoral process and said he was aware of their alleged strategy.

Shivakumar also referred to the earlier Chilume controversy and claimed that the Opposition had previously attempted to create a “ruckus” around the electoral process.

He said that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had detected what he described as the alleged conspiracy in Aland and Mahadevapura Assembly constituencies in the state.

The CM also claimed that in Bhalki and Babaleshwar Assembly segments, BJP leaders had admitted submitting Form-7 applications and had pleaded that action not be initiated against them.

He said similar developments had been reported from Belagavi and Mysuru and questioned the BJP leadership over the alleged admissions.

He also defended Rahul Gandhi’s intervention in the SIR issue, saying the Leader of the Opposition had a duty to raise concerns relating to voters’ rights.

“The SIR issue is not our voice; it is the voice of people,” Shivakumar said, adding that the Congress would continue to raise the issue.

The CM said he had subsequently sought clarification from the Election Commission on measures to protect voters whose names may have been left out of the electoral rolls. According to Shivakumar, the Commission had permitted an extensive drive for eligible voters to submit Form-6 applications and directed officials to refer to old electoral rolls while examining such cases.

The CM said the government would continue cooperating with the SIR process but would oppose any attempt to delete genuine voters’ names without following the prescribed procedure.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders have rejected the allegations and maintained that submitting Form-7 applications in bulk is not prohibited, with verification being the responsibility of election officials.

–IANS

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