Karnataka Chief Minister Announces Victory for Voting Rights After Protest Against Mass Deletion

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday said that after their protest on Thursday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued directives to the Chief Electoral Officers (CEO) to conduct a special drive after the SIR is completed to verify the details of all those deleted during the revision and include the names of eligible voters. It is a victory for the voting rights of citizens across the country, the Chief Minister said. Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru, the CM said that the EC issued the order on Thursday night after they (CM and ministers) staged a protest at the CEO’s office in Bengaluru. “We welcome this order. It is a victory against the conspiracy to deprive eligible voters of their rights. The Congress has consistently fought to protect voters’ rights, and this struggle will continue,” Shivakumar said. The CM said that as a result of the protest, the ECI has issued instructions to the CEOs of all states. They have also ordered that attention be paid to complaints regarding the mass deletion of names from the electoral rolls, he added. The CM alleged that the BJP has submitted applications to delete the votes of vulnerable sections of society. “They are doing this to create a rift among the various communities, castes, and religions in the society. Their objective is to get the votes of Dalits and minorities removed. Such people are unfit to be in politics,” the Chief Minister said. He said the BJP leaders admitted to submitting around 25,000 applications and the Election Commission should immediately register a complaint against the BJP at the national level. They have resorted to the criminal act of getting votes deleted, Shivakumar alleged.