FIRs have been filed in several places, including Belagavi, Bidar, and Mysuru, over allegations of voter names being removed from Form 7 during the Karnataka SIR. Find out what has emerged so far in the case.
Ruckus in Karnataka over SIR
The controversy surrounding SIR in Karnataka is growing. Allegations of attempts to remove voters' names using Form-7 have surfaced in various parts of the state. FIRs have been filed in several locations, including Belagavi, Mysuru, and Bidar. Police are now investigating the allegations made in the complaints. In Belagavi, an FIR has been filed against BJP leader Ravi B. Patil and several others. The complaint alleges that during SIR, attempts were made to remove the names of 198 Muslim voters from the voter list using Form-7.
According to police, the case was registered at the Belagavi Market police station on September 30. The complainant, Mirasab Sanadi, is a BJP booth-level agent in Ward No. 12 of the Belagavi North Assembly constituency. The complaint alleges that on September 22, while assisting the BLO, some individuals, including Ravi Patil, Shankar Birappa Naik, and Prashant Deepak Mundinmani, arrived. They allegedly targeted Muslim voters and attempted to submit Form-7 applications.
The case of 3,244 voters in Bidar
A complaint related to Form-7 has also surfaced in Bhalki, Bidar district. Mohammad Atiq Ahmed, a 40-year-old businessman and voter, alleged in his complaint that he and 3,244 other voters were incorrectly marked as residing or absent during the SIR. Following this complaint, an FIR was filed against 32 people on October 1. The alleged use of Form-7 to remove voters' names is being investigated.
Allegations of family names being removed in Mysuru
In Mysuru, social activist Syed Hasrat Ullah filed a complaint. He alleged that Form-7 applications were submitted to remove the names of him, his family members, and several other members of the Muslim community. The complaint stated that these applications stated that the individuals were not living at their addresses, whereas, according to the complainant, they had been living there for several years. A case has been registered at the Narasimharaja police station against Harish Kumar C, Raghavendra M, and Anil Thomas, among others, associated with the BJP's Minority Front.
7,561 Form-7 charges in Ballari
Complaints of widespread use of Form-7 have also surfaced in Ballari. An FIR was filed at the Brucepet police station on October 1st based on a complaint by Gautam S., Congress booth-level agent for Ward No. 23. The complaint accuses several officials, including BJP booth-level agent and Ballari City Corporation councilor Srinivas Motkar, and others. According to the complaint, 7,561 Form-7 applications were submitted for voter deletion during the SIR. The police are investigating the allegations in this matter.
Case also surfaced in Dakshina Kannada
Complaints regarding Form-7 have also emerged from the Belthangady Assembly constituency in Dakshina Kannada district. Congress leader Rakshit Shivaram claimed that 279 Form-7 applications were submitted for voter deletion at 16 polling stations. According to him, 82 applications in the Ujire area involved the deletion of Muslim voters. However, according to available reports, no FIR has been filed in this matter. Therefore, these allegations are currently being treated as complaints and claims.
Tanveer Sait also made allegations
Congress MLA Tanveer Sait has also alleged that a large number of Form-7 applications were submitted to remove the names of around 10,000 Muslim and Dalit voters in his Narasimharaja assembly constituency.
What is Form-7?
Form-7 is used to register objections to the addition or deletion of names from existing voter lists. It can also be used to remove the name of someone who has died, moved, or is registered in more than one place. In Karnataka, there is controversy over whether this form was used to remove the names of a large number of eligible voters by providing false information. The Election Commission has also directed the relevant officials to take action following such complaints.
