Kumaraswamy Questions Source of Bulk Form-7 Applications; Priyank Kharge Hits Back Over Siddhartha Vihar Trust

Bengaluru, Oct 6 : Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday intensified the NDA's attack on the Congress government over the alleged misuse of Form-7 applications during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, questioning the source of bulk, pre-printed forms and raising the issue of the Siddhartha Vihar Trust.

Kumaraswamy, along with BJP and JD(S) leaders, met Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukumar and urged him to direct the police not to register cases against people merely for filing Form-7 objections. The NDA leaders alleged that the police were being used to intimidate BJP workers and others participating in the SIR exercise.

Kumaraswamy questioned how large numbers of pre-printed Form-7 applications were being generated and circulated, linking the issue to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, which is associated with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family, including Home Minister Priyank Kharge.

A separate complaint alleging irregularities in the allotment of a civic amenity site to the trust is pending before a special court, which has sought a response from the Lokayukta police. The Karnataka High Court, however, has clarified that it has expressed no opinion on the merits of the allegations.

Priyank Kharge hit back at Kumaraswamy, questioning his knowledge of the affairs of the trust.

"You don't know what is happening in your own house and you claim to know what is happening in the Siddhartha Vihar Trust? First look after your own house and family," Priyank said.

He also cautioned Kumaraswamy against making personal or politically charged remarks, saying the former Chief Minister was a senior leader and should maintain dignity in his statements.

The Home Minister defended the registration of cases arising from complaints of alleged misuse of Form-7, arguing that the right to submit the form could not be treated as a licence to furnish false information.

"If a genuine voter is sought to be removed through false information, doesn't that voter have the right to defend himself and file a complaint?" he asked.

Priyank also questioned the submission of thousands of Form-7 applications and sought an explanation from the opposition over the circulation of bulk and pre-printed forms. He said complaints relating to alleged manipulation of electoral rolls would be investigated in accordance with the law.

The confrontation escalated after NDA leaders threatened to intensify protests and lay siege to police stations if FIRs against their workers were not withdrawn.

Responding to the threat, Priyank said Karnataka would not permit such politics and asserted that constitutional principles would prevail in the state.

The NDA has maintained that filing Form-7 is a statutory right and alleged that police were interfering in the SIR exercise. Kumaraswamy has sought directions from the CEO to protect those filing objections and prevent what the alliance described as arbitrary criminal action.

The controversy has now widened into a political battle over the source of bulk Form-7 applications, police action against those filing them and the alleged link to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, with the Congress defending police action and the NDA demanding withdrawal of FIRs against its workers.

The Election Commission has maintained that Form-7 applications are subject to verification and that no voter can be deleted merely because an objection has been filed.

As of October 5, a total of 91,278 Form-7 applications had been received in Karnataka. However, no voter had been deleted through the SIR process on the basis of those applications.