Form 7 row: Former Karnataka CM Yediyurappa warns of statewide protests over FIRs against BJP workers

Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Committee member, B.S. Yediyurappa, on Saturday warned of statewide protests if the FIRs registered against BJP workers for submitting bulk Form-7 applications were not withdrawn.

He was speaking to the media after making a submission to the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG-IGP) M.A. Saleem and urging the police department to withdraw the FIRs registered against BJP workers for submitting Form-7 applications.

It can be noted that Form 7 is an official Election Commission of India form used to request deletion of a name from the electoral roll.

Yediyurappa accused the state government of making false allegations against BJP workers and using the police to harass them. He said the BJP, being a national political party, would not remain silent if its workers continued to face such treatment.

“Listening to the words of the Chief Minister, you are making false allegations and harassing our party workers. This simply cannot be tolerated. This must stop right here, today. If not, we are ready to stage protests across the entire state,” Yediyurappa said.

He alleged that the police were acting under pressure from the government following the protest staged by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and ministers outside the Election Commission office.

Yediyurappa criticised Shivakumar for staging a dharna and satyagraha and alleged that pressure was exerted on the police to act against BJP workers.

“After the Chief Minister himself came, sat in dharna and staged a satyagraha, exerting pressure on the police and declaring that they would not leave, the police officials are now working to appease the government and the Chief Minister,” he claimed.

Yediyurappa said the BJP had conveyed its concerns to the DG-IGP.

“We have conveyed and demanded to the DGP that this must stop today. We demand that all of this must come to an end from this very minute,” he said.

He said the BJP was not insisting that every Form-7 application submitted by its workers should be accepted.

“If what we have submitted is proper, let them accept it; if not, let them reject it. We are not forcing anything. Other than that, we will not tolerate this kind of harassment,” Yediyurappa said.

It can be noted that Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday staged a dharna at the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Bengaluru, demanding the registration of a criminal case and a probe into the alleged conspiracy to delete eligible voters' names through bulk Form 7 applications.

D.K. Shivakumar submitted a representation to State Chief Electoral Officer Anbukumar, urging him to register a case against those allegedly involved in a conspiracy to delete genuine voters belonging to minority communities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes from the electoral rolls, through pre-filled Form 7 applications.

CM Shivakumar in his letter to CEO Anbukumar stated, "As the Chief Minister of Karnataka it is my bounden duty to protect the rights of every eligible water in a state and to ensure that the electoral revision process is conducted in a free, fair transparent and legally compliant manner. No eligible citizen, irrespective of religion, caste, community or social background, should be deprived of the right to remain on the electoral roll.

"I am given to understand that a large number of Form 7 objections seeking deletion of names from the electoral rolls have been filed in bulk, particularly during the last few days of the claims and objections period, including on 22nd 23rd and 24th September.”

Shivakumar on Thursday night said the Election Commission had assured action against those who knowingly file false claims or objections in electoral forms, following complaints over the alleged bulk pre-filled submission of Form 7 applications seeking the deletion of voters.

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