Karnataka SIR forms filled at mosques, community halls: BJP, JD(S) complain

Under SIR guidelines, BLOs are required to conduct door-to-door visits to verify voters’ identity. “However, this is not being followed on the ground, evidence of which has been shared on social media and carried by the mainstream media,” it said.

‘Desperate to protect illegal voters’

Later, speaking to reporters, Kumaraswamy alleged that the Congress government was desperate to protect “illegal voters”. He said they urged the commission to suspend all SIR activities and appoint an official from another state to monitor the exercise.

Joshi alleged that the government was undermining the SIR’s objectives to add illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to the electoral roll. “The chief electoral officer assured us that he would respond to our petition. In the coming days, we will meet the CEC and submit a complaint,” he said.

Chief Minister D K Shivakumar accused the Opposition of conspiring to snatch away the voting rights of the poor and minorities. “No other state has given the kind of cooperation (to the ECI) the way we have,” he said, adding that the government was creating awareness so that people retain their right to vote.

“This shows that they themselves do not trust the Election Commission,” he said.

Shivakumar said the government has raised awareness about the SIR in the state.