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Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)

Mangaluru, Jul 8: Former minister and senior Congress leader Ramanath Rai on Wednesday said the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Dakshina Kannada district should be conducted fairly, impartially and in a transparent manner to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded from the voters' list.

Addressing a press conference at the Dakshina Kannada District Congress office, Rai urged the public not to believe misinformation or propaganda regarding the SIR process. He said that the right to vote is a fundamental democratic right and that removing an eligible voter from the electoral roll is equivalent to denying that person their democratic identity.

Criticising BJP leaders, Rai alleged that they were making baseless statements by claiming that foreign nationals were being included in the voters' list and that the SIR process was being carried out collectively in mosques. He pointed out that the Election Commission has provided an online facility for completing the SIR process and termed the allegations as 'groundless'.

He said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been carrying out their duties despite several challenges and accused BJP leaders of attempting to politicise the exercise and create communal divisions.

Rai said that electoral roll revisions had also been conducted during previous Congress governments and that the current exercise was being described by the BJP as the 11th SIR. However, based on his experience, he noted that earlier revisions were carried out through enumeration and that obtaining signatures on enumeration forms in the present manner was a new experience for him.

He further alleged that while several documents and proofs are required to include a person's name in the electoral roll, removing names is comparatively easier, and claimed that attempts were being made to misuse the process for political purposes.

Rai said Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of all political parties have been permitted to accompany BLOs during house-to-house visits. He added that the Congress has been creating awareness among its BLAs and that information has also been shared with BLAs in the district through BLOs in a non-partisan manner.

Congress leaders Shashidhar Hegde, Prakash Salian, Harinath, Mamatha Gatti, Manjula Nayak, Vikas Shetty, Shubhodaya Alva, Honnayya, Padmanabha, Geetha, Sachin, Yogeesh, Shabir, Suhan Alva, Joaquim, Prasad Jain, Sunil and others were present at the press conference.