Karnataka Minister Warns of Action Over Misuse of Form-7 Amid SIR Row

Kharge said authorities were examining complaints involving forms in which people who were alive were allegedly listed as deceased or residents were incorrectly described as non-residents.

"If you misuse Form-7, if you possess pre-printed Form-7s in bulk, if you declare people who are alive as dead, and people who are residing here as non-residents, should we felicitate you?" he asked.

The minister questioned how such forms, carrying voters' names, addresses and other details, were allegedly being obtained in large numbers and claimed that some had originated through BJP functionaries.

Kharge said anyone violating electoral laws could face action and rejected the suggestion that such violations would go unpunished.

"This is not Gujarat, this is not Delhi, this is not UP. This is Karnataka. If you flout the Constitution, you will face consequences," he said.

Responding to questions about cases involving BJP leaders and workers, including former MLAs, candidates, Booth Level Officers and others, Kharge said action was being pursued in instances where people were allegedly being harassed through improper Form-7 submissions.

He cited instances in which individuals had approached authorities, including officials in Chikkamagaluru, Bidar and Bhubaneswar, seeking withdrawal of Form-7 applications after claiming that they had been wrongly informed that certain people were dead or no longer residing at the concerned addresses.

Kharge questioned the need for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) if political workers were allegedly carrying out verification and seeking deletions themselves.

"If they are doing the Election Commission's job themselves, then what was the SIR for? This was supposed to be a Special Intensive Revision. This has become a 'Sangh Intensive Revision', isn't it?" he said.

He also alleged that people belonging to certain communities were being disproportionately targeted through such applications, specifically referring to Muslims, Christians and Dalits.

Kharge said complaints were being received individually and that the allegations could be examined by Returning Officers and the Chief Electoral Officer.

He called on those facing allegations to approach the Chief Electoral Officer and explain how they obtained pre-printed forms and why applications had allegedly been submitted identifying living people as deceased. He also questioned why some Form-7 applications were subsequently being withdrawn.

On National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah's criticism of the Election Commission, Kharge said the poll panel was a constitutional institution whose role had been discussed during the framing of the Constitution.

He referred to B.R. Ambedkar's observations on the functioning of constitutional institutions and argued that the effectiveness of the Constitution depended on those entrusted with governance acting responsibly.

Kharge also criticised the current Chief Election Commissioner, alleging that the office had been compromised politically. His remarks were part of a broader criticism of the Election Commission amid the ongoing SIR controversy.

On Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's remarks concerning Sanatana Dharma and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Kharge said Hinduism and Hindutva should not be treated as synonymous.

He argued that Hinduism had existed for thousands of years, while the RSS was established roughly a century ago, and rejected what he described as the organisation's claim to represent or protect the religion.

"There is a stark difference between Hinduism and Hindutva," Kharge said, adding that the Congress leader's remarks should not be interpreted as opposition to Sanatana Dharma.