Dr. Yathindra alleges Special Intensive Revision meant to delete voters’ names  

Mysuru: A mammoth convention organised by the Mysuru District Congress Committee to educate party workers of the Mysuru division on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was inaugurated at J.K. Grounds this afternoon. 

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on his first visit to Mysuru since stepping down from the top post, inaugurated the convention. The event also featured the release of pigeons and watering of a sapling. 

KPCC President B.K. Hariprasad, Urban Development Minister Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah, who is also the Mysuru and Chamarajanagar District Minister, former Ministers Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, K. Venkatesh and Rani Satish, Chamaraja MLA K. Harishgowda, NR MLA Tanveer Sait, Nanjangud MLA Darshan Dhruvanarayan, Arsikere MLA K.M. Shivalingegowda, Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna, Gundlupet MLA H.M. Ganesh Prasad, MLC Dr. D. Thimmaiah and several other Congress leaders were present. 

The convention was attended by party workers from Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu and Hassan districts. 

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Yathindra alleged that the Election Commission had launched the SIR with an ulterior motive. He claimed that while electoral revisions were earlier intended to enrol eligible voters, the present exercise was aimed at deleting names from the voters’ list. 

He alleged that voters whose names were removed from the electoral rolls could also face difficulties in proving their citizenship and availing themselves of Government welfare schemes. 

Claiming that similar exercises had been undertaken ahead of the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal to benefit the BJP, Dr. Yathindra alleged that the same strategy was now being adopted in Karnataka.  

He urged Booth Level Agents (BLA-2) and Congress workers to remain vigilant and counter what he described as a conspiracy by the BJP-led Union Government and the Election Commission. 

Among those present were Karnataka Exhibition Authority Chairman Ayub Khan, Karnataka State Bhovi Development Corporation Chairman M. Ramappa, Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd. Chairman H.D. Ganesh, Zoo Authority of Karnataka Chairman Hadya Ranga Swamy, former Mayors Modamani, T.B. Chikkanna, Pushpalatha Chikkanna, Pushpalatha Jagannath, Arif Hussain, B.L. Bhyrappa and B.K. Prakash, KPCC spokespersons M. Lakshman and H.A. Venkatesh, Mysuru District Cong. Committee President Dr. B.J. Vijaykumar, City Congress President R. Murthy, Mandya District Congress President Gangadhar Gowda, Chamarajanagar District Congress President Mariswamy, Hassan District Congress President Lakshman and Kodagu District Congress President Dharmaja Uthappa.