Karnataka Minister Clarifies Statement on Special Intensive Revision Process

Bengaluru, October 30 (Daily Kiran) : Karnataka’s Public Works Minister, Satish Jarkiholi, has issued a clarification regarding his recent comments about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. In a statement shared on social media platform X, he asserted that his remarks were misinterpreted.

Jarkiholi explained that his intention was to highlight how the Karnataka government, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, successfully thwarted the BJP’s alleged scheme to remove Congress supporters from the voter list through “Form 7.” He emphasized that he did not intend to convey any endorsement of the SIR process.

He further stated, “In Karnataka, we have effectively countered attempts to remove eligible voters’ names through Form 7. We initiated this fight from our Belagavi district and have consistently opposed any efforts to disenfranchise eligible voters.”

The minister firmly condemned any illegal attempts to remove names from the voter list, reiterating his commitment to uphold democratic values and the right to vote alongside his leader, Rahul Gandhi. He urged that his comments be understood in the correct context and not misconstrued.

Earlier, the BJP had shared a video of Jarkiholi on X, claiming that Congress leaders were contradicting Rahul Gandhi’s anti-SIR stance. They pointed out that Jarkiholi defended the SIR process, justifying the removal of nearly one crore names from the list as necessary for eliminating duplicates, deceased voters, and those who had moved away. The BJP’s message suggested that even Congress leaders acknowledged the need for a clean voter list, exposing what they termed Rahul Gandhi’s anti-democratic politics.