The Karnataka police have obtained a court search warrant to search the office premises of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator and the party’s booth level agent (BLA) Motkar Srinivas submitting representations to remove over 7,500 people from the electoral roll in Ballari, a police officer said on Monday.
A first information report (FIR) was earlier registered against Motkar Srinivas on a complaint filed by a Congress BLA Gautham.
The BJP has criticised the police action, calling for a protest in Ballari and threatening a statewide agitation if cases against its workers continue. “No legal action should be taken against our workers. Leader of the Opposition in the assembly R.
When election authorities rejected his request due to a lack of supporting evidence, Srinivas returned the following day demanding a re-verification. “The case relates to a representation Srinivas submitted to election officials on September 21 seeking action against 7,561 voters in the Ballari City assembly constituency. Srinivas submitted a representation for removal of the 7,561 voters on grounds that they were absent, relocated, or registered elsewhere, according to the police. The police move follows state home minister Priyank Kharge ordering the police to act against people who were submitting bulk submission of Form 7 for deletion of voters. Ashoka said submitting Form 7 was not a crime.
He cited reasons such as voters having shifted residence, being registered elsewhere or being absent,” said the officer. “If you misuse Form 7, possess pre-printed forms in bulk, or falsely declare living residents as dead or non-residents, you will face consequences,” Kharge said, questioning how political workers were acquiring pre-printed forms with voter data. If harassment continues, we will launch a statewide agitation,” said former chief minister BS Yediyurappa. “It is the Election Commission, not the police, that must determine the validity of a voter,” he said.
