India, July 8 -- A delegation of BJP and JD(S) leaders from Karnataka on Tuesday met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demanded suspension of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, alleging large-scale irregularities in the exercise. The delegation also alleged that booth level officers (BLOs) belonging to a particular religion are being deployed in minority-dominated areas to conduct the SIR exercise. The leaders urged the Election Commission (EC) to initiate strict legal and disciplinary action against officials and political functionaries found responsible for violating the prescribed procedures or facilitating the alleged irregularities. Also Read - Delhi HC seeks Centre's stand on Ambassador Hotel's plea against show-cause notice for eviction The delegation sought re-verification of all enumeration forms already collected and demanded that mandatory door-to-door verification of the forms be carried out. It also asked the EC to appoint central observers from other states for every district in Karnataka to oversee the SIR process and ensure that the revision is conducted in a fair, transparent and impartial manner. In a letter submitted to Kumar, the delegation alleged that officials conducting the SIR are showing "zero regard" for the approved process and "undermining the spirit of democracy". The delegation members included Union ministers Pralhad Joshi, H D Kumaraswamy, Shobha Karandlaje, and V Somanna, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashok, LoP in Legislative Council Chalavadi T Narayanaswamy, and MP Kota Srinivas Poojary.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.