00:00I'm putting forth essentially what the Karnataka Congress government's version is,
00:05what the allegation is against the Election Commission and against the ongoing SIR exercise in Karnataka.
00:11It's all over Form 7.
00:13Now, if I were to explain Form 7 to you, it is essentially an application that challenges another voter's application
00:20or voter's name,
00:21suggesting that the address is fake or suggesting that they have passed away and that the voter doesn't exist.
00:27That's something that is then cross-verified, checked by the Election Commission.
00:31Now, the Congress says this Form 7 is being used in several constituencies to mass-delete votes.
00:37And they claim that this is largely minority votes that are being deleted because that is the Congress's vote back.
00:44Let me run you through all the reactions on this political fight in Karnataka.
00:51The battle over the electoral rolls in Karnataka is intensifying.
01:01At the heart of the controversy is Form 7 application used to seek deletion of names from the voters list.
01:09FIRs have been registered in Karnataka amid allegations that Form 7 applications were filed against genuine voters
01:15with complaints claiming voters were falsely shown as having shifted permanently or being absent from their addresses.
01:24Congress says this is no clerical error but a deliberate attempt to target the voters.
01:30Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar accused the BJP of a conspiracy,
01:34alleging that the party printed the Form 7 applications and then blamed Congress when complaints were filed.
01:42But the BJP has hit back.
01:44After meeting the governor, leader of opposition R. Ashok alleged that the Congress government was using the police
01:50to target BJP and JDS workers who filed Form 7 applications.
01:55He demanded action against police officers registering the cases,
01:59arguing that electoral roll complaints should be decided by the Election Commission.
02:26Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar mocked the BJP's governor outreach, saying that they are now scared.
02:32Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Why our state leaders have gone to the Rajabhan?
02:36Because they are afraid. They did a conspiracy. They printed the Form 7.
02:43Then our workers have finally completed the police station. Let them declare themselves that yes, we have given.
02:51As the FIRs mount, so does the political heat. But the big question remains,
02:56who is behind the questionable Form 7 applications?
03:01With Sagaraj in Bengaluru, Bureau Report, India Today.
