SIR Row: Narayanaswamy Says Congress Lacks Evidence of Vote Theft

Bengaluru, October 27: The Congress's campaign over the SIR and vote theft allegations is without foundation, Karnataka's Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, said. He accused the party and Rahul Gandhi of raising a controversy that lacks both evidence and substance.

According to Narayanaswamy, the Congress has been unable to find a genuine corruption issue against the Union government, which has pushed it to target the SIR. He said the exercise has been completed in the majority of states, with only three or four still pending, and that no serious irregularity has been reported so far. Eligible voters, he added, still have time to get their names added.

"The Congress wanted a reason to hold protests. The central government has no major controversy. There is no corruption issue they can hold on to. So they latched onto SIR and turned it into a national debate. Almost all states have finished the process. Not a single serious defect has emerged. Still, Rahul Gandhi keeps saying vote theft, vote theft."

He asked whether the Congress leader's own vote had been stolen, or someone else's. Such questions, he said, remain unanswered because no proof exists. "They have nothing to present, yet they keep claiming that votes were stolen. How can that be possible? Citizens have understood the game. This is simply an opportunity to confuse people, and there is no solid point behind it."

He said the Supreme Court had already given several signals on the matter, but the Congress continued to raise it anyway. He also objected to statements being made about the Chief Justice, saying the party was holding protests and moving the apex court on an issue that lacks basis.

Narayanaswamy also invoked the past, saying that nothing similar had happened earlier. He referred to the Emergency imposed under Indira Gandhi during Congress rule, arguing that it had damaged the constitutional spirit and effectively converted the country into a jail. "That will not happen now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a strong leader, respected not only in India but across the world. The Congress finds it hard to accept his stature, and that is why it is doing all this."

On the SIR, he said it is a routine process conducted in line with the law. Anyone whose name has been missed can submit Form-6 right now, he noted. The Election Commission and election officials, he said, are ensuring that no eligible voter is excluded. "Despite all this, opposition continues. The public will answer that."

He rejected the idea that mere doubt proves wrongdoing, saying missing names can still be restored and the process is open to every eligible voter.

On the FIR tied to Mallikarjun Kharge's Patna statement, he said that if a case has been registered, it must be probed impartially. At the same time, he said the language used in such political exchanges was unacceptable. He claimed the Congress tends to be more measured in power but loses decorum when out of office.

He concluded that the Prime Minister holds a constitutional post and represents 140 crore Indians, while the Congress president leads only a party. Criticism is part of democracy, he said, but it should be conducted with respect. Harsh and derogatory words, he added, do not suit a senior politician.