Karnataka SIR row: Pralhad Joshi slams Shivakumar

• Union Minister Pralhad Joshi criticises CM D K Shivakumar's protest
• Shivakumar seeks probe into alleged bulk Form 7 voter deletions
• Joshi claims the sit-in ignores drought and farmer concerns

Union minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday criticised Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar over his protest at the office of the state Chief Electoral

Officer in Bengaluru, accusing him of ignoring issues such as drought and farmers’ concerns. Joshi is currently the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy.

Shivakumar had gone to the CEO’s office with ministers seeking action over alleged misuse of Form 7 applications during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. He has alleged that bulk applications were being used to seek deletion of genuine voters, including people from minority, Dalit, tribal and backward-class communities. Those allegations have not been independently established.

ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರಗಾಲ, ರೈತರ ಸಂಕಷ್ಟ ಹಾಗೂ ಜನರ ಜ್ವಲಂತ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಕಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳುವತ್ತ ಗಮನಹರಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಡಿ.ಕೆ. ಶಿವಕುಮಾರ್ @DKShivakumar ಅವರು, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಚುನಾವಣಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ ಕಚೇರಿ ಎದುರು ಏಕಾಏಕಿ ಧರಣಿ ನಡೆಸಿರುವುದು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ವಿಷಾದನೀಯ.

ಚುನಾವಣಾ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆ, ಎಸ್ ಐ ಆರ್ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆ, ಫಾರ್ಮ್ 7, ಮತದಾರರ ಪಟ್ಟಿ ಪರಿಷ್ಕರಣೆಯ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಚುನಾವಣಾ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಬಿ ಎಲ್ ಎ, ಬಿ ಎಲ್ ಓಗಳಿಗೂ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟ ಅರಿವಿರುತ್ತದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಚುನಾವಣಾ ಆಯೋಗವೂ ಈ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನಿರಂತರವಾಗಿ ಗಮನಹರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

​ಹೀಗಿದ್ದರೂ, ರೈತರ ಸಂಕಷ್ಟ, ಬರಗಾಲದ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಜನರ ಮೂಲಭೂತ ಅಗತ್ಯಗಳಿಗೆ ಆದ್ಯತೆ ನೀಡುವುದನ್ನು ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ನಿರ್ಲಕ್ಷಿಸಿ, ನಕಲಿ ಗಾಂಧಿಗಳನ್ನು ಓಲೈಸಲು ಮತ್ತು ಸಂದೇಹಾಸ್ಪದ ಮತದಾರರನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸಲು ಸಚಿವ ಸಂಪುಟ ಸಭೆಯನ್ನೇ ಮುಂದೂಡಿ ಧರಣಿ ನಡೆಸುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ನಿಜಕ್ಕೂ ದುರಂತ ಹಾಗೂ ಖಂಡನೀಯ. ಇದು ಇಲ್ಲದ ಗುಮ್ಮನನ್ನು ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಸಿ ಜನರನ್ನು ದಿಕ್ಕು ತಪ್ಪಿಸುವ ನಾಟಕವಷ್ಟೇ.

​ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆಗೆ ಫ್ರೀಡಂ ಪಾರ್ಕ್ ಹೊರತುಪಡಿಸಿ ಬೇರೆಡೆ ಅವಕಾಶವಿಲ್ಲ. ಬೇರೆಯವರು ಎಲ್ಲಾದರೂ ಧರಣಿ ಮಾಡಿದ ತಕ್ಷಣ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳುವ ಪೊಲೀಸರು, ಕಾನೂನು ಉಲ್ಲಂಘಿಸಿ ಧರಣಿ ಕುಳಿತ ಇವರ ಮೇಲೆ ಎಫ್‌ಐಆರ್ (FIR) ದಾಖಲಿಸದೆ ಸುಮ್ಮನಿರುವುದೇಕೆ?

#CongressFailsKarnataka

— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) October 1, 2026

What did Pralhad Joshi say?

Joshi sharply attacked the protest and questioned why the state government had taken the issue to the CEO’s office.

“It is deeply regrettable that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who ought to be focusing on finding solutions to the drought, the plight of farmers, and the pressing issues faced by the people in the state, has staged a sudden sit-in protest outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka in Bengaluru,” Joshi said in a statement.

He argued that election officials, booth-level agents and booth-level officers already understand the SIR process, Form 7 and electoral roll revision.

Joshi further alleged that the protest was “a charade designed to mislead the public by conjuring up a non-existent bogeyman.”

SIR row widens in Karnataka

The dispute comes amid competing allegations over Karnataka’s voter-list revision. BJP and JD(S) leaders, including Joshi, had earlier complained to the CEO about alleged irregularities in the SIR process and sought an inquiry.

Shivakumar, meanwhile, has sought a criminal probe into alleged bulk Form 7 submissions. Karnataka Police have registered FIRs in some cases linked to such applications.

Joshi also questioned why police had not acted against the sit-in, citing Bengaluru’s restrictions on protests outside designated locations.