Civil society groups in Karnataka launch campaign against Election Commission’s SIR
Bengaluru: More than 100 representatives from civil society organisations, political parties, trade unions, women’s groups, and student unions gathered in Bengaluru on Friday to oppose the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.
The meeting, held at the Legislators’ Home, culminated in the adoption of a resolution to launch a state-wide campaign titled “My Vote, My Right”, aimed at resisting what participants described as an “NRC-like” process that could lead to the disenfranchisement of marginalised voters.
Speakers at the meeting drew parallels with similar revisions in Bihar, where over 6.8 million names were reportedly deleted from electoral rolls, with Dalits, Muslims, women, and migrant workers being disproportionately affected. They argued that the SIR shifts the burden of proof of eligibility onto citizens, reversing the earlier rule that required the Election Commission to justify voter deletions.
“The SIR follows the same logic as the NRC,” said Vinay Sreenivasa of Bahutva Karnataka. “It shifts the burden onto citizens and risks large-scale disenfranchisement.”
Clifton D’Rozario of the CPI(ML) Liberation said that many poor and marginalised voters do not possess the documents now sought by the ECI, such as birth certificates or matriculation certificates. Activists further expressed concern that the SIR authorises election officials to refer “suspected foreign nationals” to authorities under the Citizenship Act, 1955, a clause they said could be weaponised against minorities and the poor.
“This gives unbridled powers to local officials and can be misused against vulnerable communities,” said a joint statement issued after the meeting.
Presiding over the discussion, Indudara Honnapura, founder-member of the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (DSS), urged mass mobilisation against the measure. “Voters choose their leaders, but now the Election Commission wants to choose the voters,” he said.
The participants urged the Karnataka government to pass a resolution against SIR, similar to Kerala’s stance opposing the NRC and CAA, and demanded that the ECI hold wider consultations with civil society organisations before implementing the process.
The round table was attended by representatives from PUCL Karnataka, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, AICCTU, AIPWA, AISA, the All India Lawyers Association for Justice, and the Students’ Federation of India, among others.
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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
