Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday said he and all Congress MLAs would travel to Delhi to protest against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that 10 million voters had been removed from Karnataka’s lists without verification.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Shivakumar said he had instructed all Congress MLAs to be in Delhi to defend voters’ rights. The party would organise its own campaign rather than join the protest organised by other groups, he said, adding that the Congress did not intend to mobilise a large crowd.
“Tomorrow (Monday), we will fight in our own way. I have instructed all our MLAs to be in Delhi. We do not want a large number of people to go. Our MLAs will be in Delhi. I am also going to Delhi. We will fight for the rights of voters. Our hope is that the rights of every voter in the country should be protected and they should get the right to vote. We cannot delete the names of voters from the list,” he said.
Shivakumar said the question of whether the organisers had secured permission for the Delhi protest was separate from the manner in which the authorities had responded to it. He said the restrictions imposed at the outset, the internet shutdown and the detention of people as they arrived by plane raised concerns about democratic freedoms. The arrest of elected representatives in such circumstances, he added, was embarrassing for the country.
“The Prime Minister should answer whether there is democracy or an emergency in the country. Let us give him time,” he said.
India was recognised internationally as a leading democracy, Shivakumar said, warning that incidents involving restrictions on protests could damage that reputation. He said those in power should be prepared to face public criticism instead of preventing people from expressing their views.
“In a democracy, protesters have the right to protest. They have their own voice. No one can suppress that voice. Let them protest. If you are in power, answer all their questions. Give them a chance to meet the Election Commission. Let them meet the leaders,” he said.
Shivakumar said people in public life had to accept criticism and acknowledge their mistakes when they had done something wrong. The treatment of protesters, he said, reflected an atmosphere of fear in the country.
The chief minister also sought to distinguish the Congress’s plans from those of the protest organisers. He said the party had not been consulted about the demonstration but would not try to stop it. Some members of the INDIA bloc were participating in the protest, he said, and were entitled to do so.
“They are protesting in their own way. We do not want to stop them. The Congress party will protest in its own way,” he said, adding that the party did not want to interfere in the organisers’ plans.
Shivakumar alleged that 10 milllion names had been deleted from Karnataka’s electoral rolls without verification and said the state Congress had a responsibility to protect the voting rights of all citizens. He singled out Dalits, minorities and backward communities, saying their electoral participation needed particular protection.
“How many names have been deleted in Karnataka? You have deleted the names of one crore people without any verification. As the chief minister of a state, belonging to the party that brought independence to the country, it is our duty to protect the voting rights of all people. It is especially important to protect the voting rights of Dalits, minorities and backward communities. Erasing their votes, especially for political purposes, is inhumane. This is not democracy; it is a dictatorship. We will fight against this and organise our people,” he said.
Asked about a letter from retired IAS officers expressing support for the SIR, Shivakumar said their views represented their own assessment rather than the position of a political party. “The former IAS officers have performed their duty. Their opinion is the voice of the country, not the voice of any political party,” he said.