Priyank Kharge says K’taka govt denotifying protest sites on request by activists; targets BJP over SIR

Bengaluru, Oct 28 (IANS) Karnataka Minister, Priyank Kharge, on Wednesday said the state government was examining whether more locations in Bengaluru and other parts of the state could be denotified as designated protest sites as per requests by some activists, while ensuring that citizens’ right to demonstrate peacefully was not curtailed.

Speaking to reporters, Kharge said the government had met activists who called for more locations to be denotified in Bengaluru.

He implied that denotifying the sites will be done so that the rights of the citizens to protest are not curtailed. He said an affidavit had been filed in the High Court by all parties, including civil rights activists, and the government would examine the matter.

“We have met some activists who suggested that more locations in Bengaluru and across the state should be denotified. We are looking into the matter,” he said.

Kharge maintained that the government was not interested in restricting citizens’ rights but stressed the need to balance the right to protest with the rights of other people who might be affected by demonstrations.

“I would like to put on record that the government is not interested in curbing citizens’ rights. While ensuring that people can exercise their rights, we must also consider the rights of other citizens affected by protests. It is a fine balance, and we will work to maintain it,” he said.

The minister’s comments on protest sites come against the backdrop of controversy over the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest location in New Delhi. Opposition leaders had criticised the move, arguing that changing the venue could not diminish public anger or the demand for demonstrations.

Kharge had also previously criticised the Centre over the issue, accusing the Modi government of suppressing peaceful protests and alleging that it feared the Gen Z movement by denying protesters permission to demonstrate at the designated site.

The minister also launched a sharp attack on the BJP over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise favoured the ruling party at the Centre and could exclude the ones who oppose them.

Kharge stated that nearly one crore people had been left out of the voter lists in the state and said the Karnataka government would examine the circumstances surrounding their exclusion.

He alleged that the pre-printing of Form 7 by BJP workers, was introduced to keep certain sections of voters out of the electoral process.

“This SIR is a process that favours the BJP. It is very evident in West Bengal, it was very evident in Bihar, and even in Karnataka. Nearly one crore people have been left out,” he said.

Kharge alleged that the Form 7 issue in Chitapur pointed to a conspiracy to manipulate the electoral process. He claimed that 40 ‘Form 7 applications’ submitted in the constituency were bogus and emphasised that the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), rather than private individuals, had filed a complaint.

“It is absolutely a conspiracy. In Chitapur, 40 Form 7s have been given, they are all bogus. The ERO has filed a complaint, not some individuals,” he said.

Citing another instance of alleged irregularities, Kharge referred to Aland in Karnataka and claimed that 5,994 of the 6,018 forms examined there were fake. He also referred to 22,000 chargesheets, though further details about the cases and the nature of the chargesheets were not immediately available.

“We have exposed vote theft in Aland. Out of 6,018 forms, 5,994 forms are fake and 22,000 chargesheets have been filed,” he said.

Kharge said the government would scrutinise the voter lists and investigate how the alleged exclusions and irregularities had occurred. He also argued that the process undermined the Opposition’s ability to contest elections on a level playing field.

–IANS

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