Bengaluru, May 24 — Former minister and BJP MP Kota Srinivas Poojary on Saturday defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka, saying the exercise is intended to ensure that only genuine Indian citizens are allowed to vote and urging the Congress to stop what he called politically motivated criticism.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Poojary said the SIR aims to deny voting rights to people residing in the country illegally or those who are not genuine Indian voters, while ensuring eligible citizens can exercise their franchise. He warned that individuals without proper documents would be issued notices requiring proof of Indian citizenship. “This is a process intended to ensure that people residing in the country illegally or those who are not genuine Indian voters are denied voting rights, while genuine Indian citizens are given the opportunity to vote,” he said.
Poojary added that “one of the core objectives of the SIR exercise is to prevent people who have illegally entered the country and those posing a threat to India’s democratic system from obtaining voting rights,” and appealed to the Congress to cooperate with implementation rather than oppose it or spread misinformation.
On the Karnataka government’s decision to withdraw certain criminal cases, the BJP MP alleged the move would benefit “anti-social” and “anti-Hindu” elements. He claimed the government had withdrawn cases against people involved in incidents such as carrying cooker bombs, setting fire to police stations, and threatening devotees at temples, and warned that this would encourage those who glorify violence, engage in conspiracies, and intimidate others.
Responding to Congress criticism over rising petroleum prices, Poojary accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of routinely seeking opportunities to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre. He said global factors, including ongoing wars and international developments, have pushed fuel prices up worldwide and stressed that many countries are facing severe economic difficulties. He added that the Union government was working to ensure stable fuel supplies by maintaining oversight of petroleum storage, distribution, imports and production.
— IANS
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/05/24/sir-meant-to-ensure-only-genuine-citizens-vote-karnataka-bjp-mp/
Category: NATIONAL
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Publish Date: 2026-05-24 11:30:00
