A day after the BJP used his reported statement on (Special Intensive Revision) SIR to attack the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Minister Satish Jarkiholi has clarified that his statement on the voter list revision was "misinterpreted".
"The statement I made to the media concerning 'SIR' has been misinterpreted. My point was that the BJP's conspiracy-to remove the names of Congress-supporting voters from the electoral rolls in Karnataka using 'Form-7' (a tactic observed in other states as well)-was successfully thwarted. This was achieved through the efforts of our national leader, Shri Rahul Gandhi, and under the guidance of the Honorable Chief Minister, Shri DK Shivakumar. I did not, however, imply that the 'SIR' process itself is correct or valid," the minister clarified in a post on Friday.
SIR ಕುರಿತು ನನ್ನ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ತಪ್ಪಾಗಿ ಅರ್ಥೈಸಲಾಗಿದೆ! SIR ಕುರಿತು ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳ ಮುಂದೆ ನಾನು ನೀಡಿದ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ತಪ್ಪಾಗಿ ಅರ್ಥೈಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಬೇರೆ ರಾಜ್ಯಗಳಿಗೆ ಹೋಲಿಸಿದರೆ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಫಾರಂ–7 ಮೂಲಕ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಬೆಂಬಲಿಗ ಮತದಾರರ ಹೆಸರನ್ನು ಮತದಾರರ ಪಟ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ಅಳಿಸುವ ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯ ಷಡ್ಯಂತ್ರವನ್ನು ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ನಾಯಕರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಹುಲ್ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರ ಹೋರಾಟ ಹಾಗೂ ಮಾನ್ಯ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಡಿ.ಕೆ. ಶಿವಕುಮಾರ್ ಅವರ ಮಾರ್ಗದರ್ಶನದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಫಲಗೊಳಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ನನ್ನ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಯ ಉದ್ದೇಶವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೆ, SIR ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆ ಸರಿಯಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂಬ ಅರ್ಥದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಹೇಳಿಕೆ ನೀಡಿಲ್ಲ. ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಫಾರಂ–7 ಮೂಲಕ ಅರ್ಹ ಮತದಾರರ ಹೆಸರುಗಳನ್ನು ಅಳಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನವನ್ನು ನಾವು ವಿಫಲಗೊಳಿಸಿದ್ದು, ಈ ಹೋರಾಟಕ್ಕೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯಿಂದಲೇ ಚಾಲನೆ ನೀಡಿ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗಿ ಎದುರಿಸಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಅರ್ಹ ಮತದಾರರ ಹಕ್ಕುಗಳನ್ನು ಕಸಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಯಾವುದೇ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ನನ್ನ ನಿಲುವು ಮೊದಲಿನಿಂದಲೂ ದೃಢವಾಗಿದೆ. ಮತದಾರರ ಪಟ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ಅರ್ಹ ಮತದಾರರ ಹೆಸರುಗಳನ್ನು ಅಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ ತೆಗೆದುಹಾಕುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಗಳನ್ನು ನಾನು ಬಲವಾಗಿ ವಿರೋಧಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಪ್ರಜಾಪ್ರಭುತ್ವದ ಮೌಲ್ಯಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಮತದಾನದ ಹಕ್ಕಿನ ರಕ್ಷಣೆಗಾಗಿ ನಮ್ಮ ನಾಯಕರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಹುಲ್ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ದೃಢವಾಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲುತ್ತೇನೆ. ನನ್ನ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಯ ಉದ್ದೇಶವನ್ನು ತಪ್ಪಾಗಿ ಅರ್ಥೈಸದೆ, ಅದರ ನೈಜ ಆಶಯವನ್ನು ಗ್ರಹಿಸಬೇಕೆಂದು ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟಪಡಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. @kcvenugopalmp @rssurjewala @INCIndia @INCKarnataka @DKShivakumar #KarnatakaNews
— Satish Jarkiholi (@JarkiholiSatish) October 30, 2026
Amid Congress' stiff opposition to SIR undertaken by the Election Commission, Jarkiholi's earlier statement was seen as an endorsement of the exercise carried out in the state.
When asked about Congress' protests against SIR, Jarkiholi told reporters on Wednesday: "What we are talking about is not (SIR that was done) in Karnataka, but elsewhere like West Bengal, Maharashtra and Bihar."
Read | Congress Minister Defends SIR Deletions In Karnataka, BJP Jabs Rahul Gandhi
"The SIR in Karnataka was done in the right manner because of our (Congress) protests and training. We argue that it should happen in the same manner in other states," he said.
Satish Jarkiholi with Dk Shivakumar
Photo Credit: @JarkiholiSatish
When questioned about the removal of nearly one crore voters from the electoral rolls in the state, the minister said, "Yes, these are voters who shifted, died or were duplicates."
The BJP had used the statement to target the Congress leadership saying even Congress leaders recognise the need for a clean voter roll, exposing Rahul Gandhi's "anti-democratic politics".
In a post on X, the BJP said, "Congress leaders are increasingly contradicting Rahul Gandhi's anti-SIR stand. Karnataka Cabinet Minister Satish Jarkiholi defended Karnataka's SIR process, justifying deletions of nearly one crore names, citing duplicate, deceased and relocated voters.
Congress leaders are increasingly contradicting Rahul Gandhi's anti-SIR stand. Karanataka Cabinet Minister Satish Jarkiholi defended Karnataka's SIR process, justifying deletions of nearly one crore names, citing duplicate, deceased and relocated voters. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑: 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥, 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐚𝐡𝐮𝐥 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐢'𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬.
— BJP (@BJP4India) October 29, 2026
"The message is clear: even Congress leaders recognise the need for a clean voter roll, exposing Rahul Gandhi's anti-democratic politics."
In his clarification on Friday, Jarkiholi added that the Congress thwarted BJP's bid to delete voters in Karnataka.
"In Karnataka, we successfully countered the attempt to delete the names of eligible voters via 'Form-7'; in fact, this resistance was initiated right here in our Belagavi district," he noted.
"My stance against any attempt to deprive eligible voters of their rights has always been firm. I strongly oppose any efforts to illegally remove the names of eligible voters from the electoral rolls. I stand firmly with our leader, Shri Rahul Gandhi, in protecting democratic values and the right to vote."
He urged people not to misunderstand his statement.
After the SIR exercise, the Election Commission on Tuesday published the final electoral rolls, listing 4.55 crore electors in the state, down from 5.54 crore before the revision, marking a decline of 99.32 lakh voters.
