Is DK Shivakumar beating EC's SIR in Karnataka?

The DK Shivakumar-led Congress government in Karnataka has launched a door-to-door drive to issue Permanent Residence Certificates and caste certificates. The BJP is alleging that the move is aimed at protecting the Congress's "illegal vote bank" from the SIR exercise being conducted by the Election Commission.

Karnataka's government officials seem to be particularly busy with paperwork right now. While some are assisting the Election Commission of India (ECI) with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka, others are engaged in issuing multiple documents, as directed by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, that will help people prove that they are genuine residents of the state. There's a statewide initiative to issue Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs) and caste certificates. The BJP and the JD(S), however, are alleging that the move is intended at protecting the Congress's "illegal vote bank" from the SIR exercise.

On Monday, DK Shivakumar (DKS) launched what he described as a "historic campaign" to distribute PRCs and caste certificates through a door-to-door drive. The initiative is significant because the PRCs are among the documents accepted by the ECI for voter verification under the ongoing SIR exercise.

The initiative has sparked a political battle, with the BJP accusing the Congress government of attempting to protect its "illegal voters" ahead of the electoral roll revision.

"The Congress has a vote bank of infiltrators in the state, and the DK Shivakumar-led government is issuing PRCs for precisely that reason. The Congress's infiltrated voters in the state are unable to prove their names in the electoral rolls, and that is why the government is helping them," Karnataka Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy told India Today Digital on Tuesday.

Calling the move "totally unconstitutional and illegal", Narayanaswamy alleged that the state government only has the authority to issue domicile certificates and not Permanent Residence Certificates.

"We will fight against this. The state government has the right only to provide domicile details," he said.

PRO-PEOPLE GOVERNMENT: CM DK SHIVAKUMAR DEFENDS THE PRCs ISSUING DRIVE

CM Shivakumar defended the initiative, saying the Congress government was simplifying access to essential documents and reducing the need for citizens to visit multiple government offices.

"This is a pro-people government. Your vote, your right; your vote, your life. Our government guarantees it," Shivakumar said on Monday, recalling a similar doorstep delivery initiative for RTCs (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops) during the tenure of former chief minister SM Krishna.

Shivakumar said that around 4.85 crore digital caste certificates had already been shared with Deputy Commissioners for printing and doorstep distribution. A dedicated mobile application has also been developed to record Aadhaar details, mobile numbers and beneficiary acknowledgements during the distribution process.

The Karnataka CM added that citizens would be able to download caste certificates free of cost through the government's portal using the certificate's RD number, ration card number or Aadhaar number.

The facility would also be available at government assistance centres, including newly established centres at the hobli level. According to Shivakumar, nearly 57 lakh caste certificates have already been linked to beneficiaries' mobile numbers, with download links sent through WhatsApp and SMS.

BJP QUESTIONS THE RIGHTS AND POWERS OF STATE GOVERNMENT

Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashok, criticised the initiative, alleging that the Congress government had "crossed a dangerous constitutional line" and raised "serious constitutional, legal and national security concerns".

Questioning the legal basis of the exercise, Ashok on Monday asked under which constitutional provision a state government was empowered to issue Permanent Residence Certificates. He demanded that the exercise be immediately suspended and warned that the BJP would challenge it "politically, legally and constitutionally" if the government failed to withdraw the initiative.

The SIR exercise is currently being conducted in Karnataka along with 16 other states and Union Territories, with the Election Commission undertaking a verification of electoral rolls. Even as the Karnataka government and the BJP are trading barbs over the PRCs being distributed during the SIR, a senior ECI official told The Times of India newspaper that the PRCs would be accepted if they are issued lawfully by competent authorities such as tahsildars, deputy commissioners and additional deputy commissioners.

"If PRCs are lawful, then we will accept them. However, no executive order can be considered in the case of the PRC," a senior ECI official told The Times of India newspaper.

The Election Commission's SIR of electoral rolls has emerged as one of the country's most contentious political flashpoints, with the BJP and Opposition parties locked in a fierce battle. Karnataka has now become the latest battleground, with the BJP accusing the Congress government of attempting to safeguard its "illegal vote bank" through its decision to issue Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs).

- Ends