India

Karnataka Minister Jarkiholi Clarifies He Did Not Endorse SIR Process

By Arun Dev

Karnataka minister Satish Jarkiholi said on Friday that his comments about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll were misinterpreted. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had used Jarkiholi’s remarks to accuse Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of contradicting his opposition to the SIR. Jarkiholi explained that his point was that the BJP’s attempt to remove Congress‑supporting voters in Karnataka using Form 7 had been thwarted. He added that the deletions of nearly ten million names from the roll were for voters who had moved, died or were duplicates. Jarkiholi clarified that he did not imply the SIR process itself was correct or valid. He reiterated his support for Rahul Gandhi and his opposition to any illegal removal of eligible voters from the electoral rolls. The BJP had posted on X that Jarkiholi defended the Karnataka exercise and justified the deletions, claiming it showed Congress leaders recognised the need for a clean voter roll. Jarkiholi urged people not to interpret his earlier remarks as support for the SIR process. The article was written by Arun Dev, Assistant Editor, Karnataka bureau, Hindustan Times.