Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (NP)
Udupi, Jul 11: The BJP Karnataka Media Cell has alleged that the Karnataka government’s notification on the Karnataka Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC), 2026, raises serious constitutional, legal and national security concerns, and has sought the immediate intervention of the union ministry of home affairs.
Addressing the media, BJP district president Kuthyar Naveen Shetty said, “The Karnataka government has issued a notification introducing the Permanent Resident Certificate at a time when the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is under way. This is a serious matter, as the Election Commission has already laid down clear guidelines on how the SIR process should be conducted. If a person’s name is not included in the voter list during the SIR, the state government should not create an alternative route that could be misused to facilitate inclusion in the electoral rolls.”
He further said, “This issue deserves serious attention, as it has implications for national security. The SIR has been carried out for many years to ensure that only eligible Indian citizens are included in the voter list. Every genuine Indian citizen has the right to vote, and there is no doubt about that. Those whose names were on the voter list in 2002 will continue to be included in 2026. Even if a person does not have voter records prior to 2002 but has records after 2004, he or she can establish identity through a birth certificate or parental documents. However, such provisions do not apply to non-Indians or foreign nationals.”
He also stated, “After West Bengal, Karnataka too is becoming a matter of concern from the perspective of national security. If people from other countries find their way onto the voter list, they may also gain access to education, government welfare schemes, social benefits and governance systems. They would then receive the same opportunities and benefits meant for Indian citizens, posing a serious threat to the country’s security.”
Former district president Mattar Rathnakar Hegde said, “The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is conducted exclusively by the Election Commission of India. Neither the state government nor the Central Government has the authority to interfere in the process. The state government’s only responsibility is to provide the necessary officials and volunteers to assist with the revision. However, the Congress government in Karnataka, along with the governments led by Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal and M K Stalin in Tamil Nadu, has opposed the SIR process. Some claim that the BJP politically benefited from the SIR in West Bengal, but similar exercises were also carried out in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where the BJP did not come to power. Therefore, such allegations are baseless.”
He further said, “Many names have already been removed from the voter list because they were found to belong to illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan. On June 29, the Karnataka government announced new Permanent Resident Certificate guidelines. The Congress government appears to be creating a mechanism through which people who do not possess proper documents, including those from other countries, could eventually find a place on the voter list. As per Election Commission guidelines, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are required to visit every household and distribute the necessary forms. However, in several places, forms are reportedly being distributed at large gatherings, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the process.”
The party argued that such a classification is arbitrary, lacks any rational connection to a legitimate constitutional objective, and violates Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law. According to the BJP, the move effectively grants a distinct legal status to certain individuals without constitutional sanction.
Expressing concern over national security, the BJP stated that the eligibility criteria mentioned in the notification are based largely on residence and local verification by revenue officials. It alleged that there is no mandatory provision for verification of Indian citizenship through competent central authorities, nor is there a robust mechanism to identify illegal immigrants or foreign nationals.
Also present were Dinakar Shetty Herga, general secretary, BJP Udupi; Srikanth Nayak, district chief secretary; and Shivkumar Ambalpady, district secretary, BJP Udupi.