Bengaluru, 14 Feb

AICC Secretary Mansoor Ali Khan on Saturday warned that the forthcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka could be misused to target minorities including Muslims, Dalits, migrant workers, women and tribals.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Saturday, Khan alleged that the Election Commission’s Form No. 7, used to object to the inclusion of a name or to seek deletion from the voter list, had been misused in other states and the same will be done in Karnataka. Under the rules, an individual may object to only five names through Form 7.

However, he claimed that in states such as Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, individuals had filed between 300 and 700 forms, leading to deletions without adequate verification.

“The purpose of the SIR should be to clean the voter lists. Instead, it is being used to target a section,” Khan alleged.

The Special Intensive Revision is a nationwide exercise undertaken by EC to update electoral rolls by adding eligible citizens and removing ineligible entries. Launched in Bihar in 2025, it was subsequently rolled out in nine poll-bound states.

According to Opposition, approximately 6.5 crore voters were removed from draft rolls across nine states and three Union Territories. They allege that minorities have been disproportionately affected.

Khan urged citizens to ensure their documentation was in order to avoid “harmful effects” before the revision process starts in Karnataka.

He noted that several institutions and associations in Bengaluru were already conducting awareness drives on SIR and voter mapping, a preliminary stage before the formal revision, but called for a larger, coordinated effort.

Khan said the matter had been discussed twice in the State Cabinet and that community leaders were closely monitoring developments. “Since the process has not yet officially started, no one has a clear picture,” he said.

Bengaluru North District Congress Committee President Abdul Wajid, who was present, said mosques must conduct outreach programmes to ensure voters verify their names on the rolls.