Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (TP)

Udupi, Jun 13: Alleging that the Election Commission is acting against constitutional principles by seeking documents to prove citizenship during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the SIR Opposition Forum has strongly opposed the exercise.

SIR Opposition Forum Udupi convenor Sridhar voiced strong objections while speaking after releasing a poster for a statewide awareness campaign organised by the Sahabaalwe Organisation at the Udupi Press Club on Friday. He said the campaign would be conducted across Karnataka from June 13 to 18 to oppose the voter roll revision process undertaken by the Election Commission.

Sridhar said the right to vote is a fundamental pillar of democracy and expressed concern that eligible voters could be excluded from electoral rolls in the name of additional documentation. He warned that the move could disproportionately affect the poor, rural residents, migrant workers and marginalised communities.

“The voter list revision process must be transparent. However, placing the burden of proving citizenship on voters is unconstitutional. The Election Commission should function within the limits of its constitutional authority,” he said.

He further alleged that measures related to voter roll revision are undermining democratic values, adding that any attempt to deprive citizens of their voting rights is dangerous to democracy. He said the Election Commission appears to be exceeding its mandate and that even the courts do not seem to be effectively coming to the aid of poor and vulnerable sections.

Demanding the immediate withdrawal of the controversial measure, Sridhar urged authorities to ensure that no voter’s rights are affected. He also called upon the government to take special steps to help poor people, refugees and vulnerable sections obtain the documents required under the SIR process. “No citizen should lose their voting rights due to lack of documentation,” he stressed.

Providing details of the SIR awareness campaign, Sahabaalwe Organisation representative Phaniraj said the public awareness drive would cover various districts of Karnataka through five separate routes.

Route 1 will cover Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Ballari, Vijayanagara and Koppal districts.

Route 2 includes Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag and Haveri districts.

Route 3 will pass through Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Shivamogga, Davanagere and Chitradurga districts.

Route 4 comprises Tumakuru, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Bengaluru Rural and Ramanagara districts.

Route 5 will cover Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts, where awareness programmes will be conducted among voters.

Prominent members of the SIR Opposition Forum, including Prashanth Jathanna, Sridhar Billava, Sundar Master, Shyamraj Birthi, Ismail Cherkady and Idris Hoode, were present at the press conference.