Prakash Raj to visit 100 booths in Karnataka to bring evidence of arbitrariness, calls SIR a ‘scam’

Calling the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) a “scam” and “conspiracy”, actor Prakash Raj said starting September 22 till September 30, he would visit 100 polling booths across Karnataka, and bring evidence on how arbitrarily the exercise has been conducted, which he said he would present as “National public hearing” at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 15.

Mr. Raj said he would also take “this fight” legally, after collecting all the evidence at different courts. He pointed out that at these polling booths, he, along with civil society groups, would do “social audit” by mapping the details, looking into each case of how and why the electors were put into the absent, shifted, duplicate, dead or others (ASDDO) list, and look into the enumeration forms of those who got notices to check if they filled them correctly, or even if not, what discrepancy the notice flags. Mr. Raj argued that these mistakes, for which people are queuing up, are not committed by the citizens who are being punished.

VIP treatment

Questioning the VIP treatment to prominent personalities like actor Shiva Rajkumar, the actor questioned if some people are “more equal”. Such people, who are in the Election Commission’s list of VIPs, where officials will come personally and clear the hearing process, should deny this treatment and stand with the public at this time, because this is outright bias against the common citizen.

“Does that mean just because you are popular, you get the privilege? And if you are not popular, if you are a common man, you are underprivileged in this country? Not fair.” 

Criticising political parties across the board, he said, “From Rahul Gandhi to Narendra Modi, everyone offers biryani packets when it is about elections, but when it comes to situations where citizens need them, like now, in SIR, during Covid pandemic, they (political parties) leave the public on their own.”

“In a democracy, a voter decides who will govern, but this exercise is aiming to change that. With this, government wants to decide who can vote. Still no opposition party is speaking for their people who elected them,” he argued.

Forced incrimination

Further taking on the design of the exercise, Mr. Raj said the voters who have been deleted and put into the ASDDO list are told to get included through form-6, while the form-6 declaration itself says, “I am applying for inclusion in Electoral Roll for the ‘first time‘ and my name is not included in any Assembly constituency/Parliamentary constituency. I am aware that making the above statement or declaration in relation to this application which is false and which I know or believe to be false or do not believe to be true, is punishable under Section 31 of Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950) with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with both.”

This way, each voter who is seeking inclusion after being removed is “incriminating“ themselves. Does the Election Commission “technically and legally want each person to lie?” he questioned.

Against claims of inclusion

The actor further pointed to the immunity provided to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners under Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which bars courts from entertaining or continuing civil or criminal proceedings against them for acts done or purported to be done in the discharge of their official duties. He said, “Such immunity is planned because they knew they are conspiring a scam, otherwise why else such clause be introduced just months before planning something like this?” he questioned, adding that if it was an inclusionary exercise, the timeline would have supported the claim and not been done in a rush.