BJP Claims Jarkiholi Backed SIR; Minister Says Remarks Misread

BENGALURU, Oct 30: Amid a political row over voter list revision, Karnataka PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi has said his remarks on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were misinterpreted. He issued the clarification on X, saying he had not made any statement suggesting that the SIR process was correct.

Jarkiholi said his comments to reporters had been read in the wrong light. He explained that his intended message was about Karnataka's success in blocking a BJP plan to remove Congress supporters from voter lists through Form 7. He said this was achieved under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and with the guidance of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and he compared the state's response with that of other states.

He reiterated that Karnataka had defeated efforts to strike eligible voters off the rolls through Form 7. According to him, the resistance was launched from Belagavi district and was carried out effectively. He said his stand against depriving eligible voters of their rights had remained unchanged.

The minister stated that he opposed any illegal attempt to remove eligible voters from electoral rolls. He said he stood solidly with Rahul Gandhi in defending democracy and the right to vote, and asked that his words be understood in their true context rather than in a distorted manner.

The BJP had earlier shared Jarkiholi's video on X, alleging that Congress leaders were speaking against Rahul Gandhi's anti-SIR stance. It said the minister had defended Karnataka's SIR exercise and justified the deletion of nearly one crore names, including those of duplicate, dead and shifted voters. The party said this showed that even Congress leaders accepted the need for a clean voter list, and it accused Rahul Gandhi of undemocratic politics.