Mass Muslim Voter Deletion in Karnataka SIR: FIR Filed Against BJP Leader Over 198 Voters' Deletion via Form-7; BLOs Claim They Were Pressured to Sign Documents

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Amid the ongoing protests over SIR irregularities, with protesters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, various reports of voter name deletions in Karnataka have emerged. A video has been circulating, alleging that Booth Level Officers in Karnataka have received Form-7 applications in bulk seeking the deletion of Muslim voters.

The Wire reported that the Form-7 applications, submitted as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), have allegedly sought to remove more than 4,000 names from the electoral rolls across the state, with the majority of those affected being Muslim. 

In a recent development in the matter, an FIR has been filed against BJP leader Ravi Patil and others for allegedly attempting to remove the names of 198 Muslim voters in Belagavi district through Form-7 applications. Form-7 is an application of the Election Commission of India that allows a person to object to another person’s name on the electoral roll or request its deletion. The form also enables a person to request the deletion of a name if the person has died, shifted to another location, or if the name is duplicated. 

See Also: Did Election Commissioners Disagree With CEC Gyanesh Kumar Over SIR? Report Reveals ECs Raised 14 Formal Objections Over SIR Exercise, But No Action Taken

The recent allegation of the removal of Muslim voters from Karnataka’s electoral rolls has caused widespread outrage, with many users demanding action against the perpetrators. Police stated, as cited by The Times of India, that the FIR against Patil was registered on September 30, 2026, by a Booth Level Agent named Meerasab Sanadi from Ward No. 12 of the Belagavi North Assembly constituency. Reports suggest that, so far, three FIRs have been filed in the state regarding alleged SIR irregularities, including one in Mysuru, Karnataka. 

Karnataka SIR Row: FIR Filed Against BJP Leader Ravi Patil

In the FIR, the complainant has raised various allegations, accusing BJP leader Ravi Patil, Shankar Beerappa Naik, and Pashant Deepak Mundinmani, among others, of targeting voters from the Muslim community. The FIR claimed that the accused allegedly aimed to delete the names of 198 Muslim voters while also creating fake documents. The complainant alleged that the fake documents were intended to be submitted to the BLO as genuine documents by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).

The complaint also mentioned that the Form-7 applications included the names of Patil and his family members.

BLOs Allegedly Pressured to Sign Bulk Form-7 Applications in Belagavi 

The Hindu reported that cases of bulk Form-7 submissions have been reported from at least six polling stations in Belagavi, including four in Veerabhadra Nagar and other areas as well. The report claimed that two men who said they were from the Belagavi City Corporation had pressured the BLOs into signing the applications. When some of them refused to comply, the men allegedly called another person who claimed to be ERO Udayakumar Basantappa Talawar, who directed the BLOs to sign the applications urgently. Some BLOs told The Hindu that they had signed the forms under pressure. 

Similar issues involving the misuse of the SIR and Form-7 applications have been flagged in other areas of the state as well. As per reports, three people from Ballari city have been accused of allegedly submitting 7,561 Form-7 applications to delete the names of voters during the SIR exercise. The accused in the case are Assistant Commissioner of the Ballari City Corporation Nandish, Booth Level Officer (BLO) Sumalatha, and Sharanabasava.

See Also: "Delhi Deleted": Only One Voter Left in Chandni Chowk Booth After SIR Exercise; 908 Names Removed Since January 2025

On October 2, 2026, Congress leader Rakshith Shivaram also alleged that 279 Form-7 applications had been submitted in the Belthangady constituency for voter deletions. He also alleged that 82 voters on the list were from the Muslim community in Ujire town, Karnataka.

In another case from Mysuru, a man named Syed Hasarath Ulla complained about a Form-7 application submitted against him, seeking to remove his name from the electoral rolls. The form claimed that Ulla and his family were not residing at the address where they had lived for years. Following his complaint, a case was filed against the people allegedly involved in the matter for allegedly conspiring to remove the names of Muslim voters during the ongoing SIR exercise.

[VS]

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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