New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced a month-long statewide campaign in Karnataka to counter what it described as the Congress's attempts to politicise the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and mislead young people.
BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar said the campaign, titled 'Save Democracy, Eradicate Anarchy', would run from November 1 to 30, with interactive programmes planned at more than 500 locations across the state.
The campaign will involve college students, young professionals, writers, lawyers, doctors, chartered accountants and sportspersons, the Karkala MLA told reporters.
"From November 1 to November 30, we will organise a campaign among college students and young people under the slogan 'Save Democracy, Eradicate Anarchy'. We have decided to hold large-scale interactive discussions with youngsters across Karnataka," Kumar said.
A programme involving 1,000 students will be held in Hubballi on November 3, followed by a similar interaction at Town Hall in Bengaluru on November 5. In the second phase, interactive programmes will be organised in more than 100 colleges, with students at the centre of the campaign.
The third phase will extend the outreach to taluk headquarters, mandals and Assembly constituencies, with young professionals and members of various fields also participating.
Kumar said the BJP intended to counter what he called false narratives being circulated among the public. Referring to a Supreme Court observation in a case related to the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), he said the court had cautioned against pushing young people into conflicts for political gains, as they would ultimately bear the consequences.
He alleged that the Congress had been using the SIR issue for several months to mislead young people and provoke confrontation.
"The SIR exercise is a legally mandated activity of the Election Commission. Using it as an excuse to mislead youngsters and push them into confrontation for political gains, as the Supreme Court has cautioned against, is unacceptable," he said.
Defending the exercise, Kumar said electoral rolls had been revised 12 times in the country, including 10 revisions during Congress rule. He said the last revision took place in 2004 and that the exercise was being undertaken again after 25 years.
He also accused the Congress of repeatedly questioning electoral processes, including electronic voting machines (EVMs), electoral rolls and now the SIR exercise.
"Initially, it said EVMs were unreliable. Then it demanded ballot papers. Subsequently, it claimed that electoral rolls were faulty. Now it says SIR itself is wrong. After the Uttar Pradesh election results, it will probably start saying that the voters themselves are wrong," he said.
Kumar also cited initiatives by the BJP-led Union government for young people, including the establishment of seven new IITs, 16 IIITs, eight Central universities and 431 medical colleges over the past 12 years. He said 2,12,283 startups had been established in the country, including 21,601 in Karnataka.
Asked whether the campaign could face opposition in colleges, Kumar said the programmes would be held indoors and that around 10 to 15 colleges had already hosted such events. He added that the BJP would respond if attempts were made to obstruct them.
BJP questions timing of INDIA bloc rally
Meanwhile, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday questioned the Congress's decision to hold an INDIA bloc rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on November 1, alleging that the Opposition was attempting to create confusion around institutions and systems in the country.
Addressing a press conference, Trivedi also questioned the timing of the rally during the festive season, claiming that it could affect business activities in the area.
"Their (Opposition) true intent -- as articulated by the Prime Minister -- is rooted in a mindset characterised by a desire for plunder upon attaining power, the sowing of division within society, and a deep-seated hatred for India's religious and cultural ethos," he said.
Trivedi alleged that the Opposition had attempted to create confusion around various institutions and systems over the past 10 to 12 years.
Questioning the choice of November 1 for the rally, he said Ramlila Maidan was located in a major trade and commerce hub serving North India, and that the event could affect business during the festive period from Navratri through Diwali and Chhath Puja.
He further alleged that certain forces, both within and outside the country, could be attempting to undermine India's economic growth and its growing global influence.
"India is currently emerging as a highly influential presence on the global stage. Among the world's largest economies, we are the fastest-growing; it is highly probable -- and indeed, widely understood -- that this may not be well-received by various global powers," he said.
Trivedi alleged that such forces could be seeking to stall India's economic momentum and what he described as its "golden potential".
Kumar targets Karnataka government over farmers' relief
Separately, Kumar criticised the Karnataka government's decision to impose 17 conditions for providing Rs 2,500 in drought assistance to farmers and demanded that the restrictions be withdrawn.
He said more than 200 of the state's 223 taluks had been declared drought-hit and that all eligible farmers should be considered for relief.
Accusing the state government of withholding assistance, Kumar demanded that the relief amount be increased to Rs 10,000 per farmer. He also questioned the government's expenditure on its 100-day celebrations, publicity and advertisements while imposing conditions on drought assistance.
Kumar further accused the government of withholding more than Rs 1,200 crore in milk subsidy payments to farmers and claimed that milk prices had increased by Rs 17 per litre since 2023.
Reacting to Thursday's Cabinet decision to raise Nandini milk prices by Rs 8 per litre, he accused the government of burdening consumers with higher prices for milk, bus fares, admission fees and stamp duty while failing to release subsidies and guarantee scheme payments on time.
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)
