Civil society groups resolve to oppose SIR drive in Karnataka

During the meeting, CPI(ML) state secretary Clifton D’Rozario spoke about how the exercise had been carried out in Bihar, stating that the exclusion of around 68 lakh names had primarily affected women, Dalits, Muslims, and migrant workers. The Round Table meeting also raised concerns about voter IDs not being considered a valid document for the process.

A statement issued after the meeting mentioned that the ECI was attempting to introduce the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) under the guise of SIR, noting that the SIR Booklet for 2025 issued by the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka contained a clause that would refer suspected foreign nationals to the competent authority under the Citizenship Act.

It went on to say, “…The SIR could become a mass exercise that affects not just voting rights but citizenship.”

Vinay Sreenivasa of Bahutva Karnataka said, “The entire basis of SIR follows the same logic as NRC. Until 2023, the onus was on the Election Commission to prove that the voter is not eligible to vote, and hence their name must be deleted.

Various groups at the meeting resolved to oppose the SIR, planning to launch a campaign titled ‘My Vote, My Right’. They also called upon the Legislature to pass a resolution against the SIR, and for the results of the inquiry into the recent allegations of “vote theft” by the Opposition.

The resolutions also stated that the Election Commission must meet with civil society groups, and also called for voter lists to be released in a digitally readable format accessible to the public.

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