Bengaluru, May 24 (IANS) Former Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kota Srinivas Poojary has defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka, saying that the electoral exercise is aimed at ensuring that only genuine Indian citizens are allowed to vote.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday in Bengaluru, Poojary alleged that criticism of the SIR process by the Congress was “politically motivated” and urged the party to support the initiative instead of spreading misinformation.

“This is a process intended to ensure that people residing in the country illegally or those who are not genuine Indian voters are denied voting rights, while genuine Indian citizens are given the opportunity to vote,” he said.

He noted that individuals lacking proper documents would be issued notices asking them to provide proof of Indian citizenship.

“One of the core objectives of the SIR exercise is to prevent people who have illegally entered the country and those posing a threat to India’s democratic system from obtaining voting rights,” Poojary said.

He appealed to the Congress to cooperate with the implementation of the SIR process instead of opposing it.

Commenting on the Karnataka government’s decision to withdraw certain criminal cases, the BJP MP alleged that the move would benefit ‘anti-social’ and ‘anti-Hindu’ elements.

“The (Karnataka) government has withdrawn cases against those involved in incidents such as carrying cooker bombs, setting fire to police stations, and threatening devotees at temples. This will encourage people who glorify violence, engage in conspiracies, and intimidate others,” he alleged.

Responding to criticism by the Congress over the recent rise in petroleum product prices, Poojary accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of constantly searching for opportunities to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre.

“Due to ongoing wars and international developments, fuel prices have increased globally. Many countries are facing severe economic difficulties,” he said.

He also added that the Union government was working to ensure stable fuel supply for Indian citizens by maintaining control over petroleum storage, distribution, imports, and production.

–IANS

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