Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday, 5 October 2025, warned that individuals misusing Form-7 to seek deletion of eligible voters from electoral rolls would face legal consequences, raising sharp questions about how bulk pre-printed forms were allegedly being obtained and submitted in the state's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

What Kharge Said

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge did not mince words. 'If you misuse Form-7, if you possess pre-printed Form-7s in bulk, if you declare people who are alive as dead, and people who are residing here as non-residents, should we felicitate you?' he asked.

He further warned: 'If you are not following the law, I will teach you how to follow it. Why do you expect to flout the norms? How do you expect to flout the law of the land and expect that no cases will be registered against you?'

Kharge made clear that Karnataka would not be treated the same as other states where, he implied, such conduct had gone unchecked. 'This is not Gujarat, this is not Delhi, this is not UP. This is Karnataka. If you flout the Constitution, you will face consequences,' he said.

BJP Functionaries in the Crosshairs

The Home Minister alleged that bulk pre-printed forms — carrying voters' names, addresses, and personal details — were traceable to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries. Cases have been pursued against former MLAs, candidates, Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and non-BLOs over alleged harassment of the public, he said.

Notably, Kharge claimed that in some instances individuals had subsequently approached Tahsildars of Chikkamagaluru, Bidar, and Bhubaneswar seeking withdrawal of Form-7 applications, admitting they had been misinformed that the concerned persons were dead or no longer residents. 'Why are they now apologising and withdrawing the Form-7s? Let them explain that first,' he said.

Allegations of Targeted Voter Deletions

Kharge alleged that the Form-7 submissions were disproportionately targeting specific communities. 'How is it that only one section of society is being targeted? How is it that only Muslims, Christians and Dalits are being targeted? Let the BJP answer this,' he said.

He also took a swipe at the exercise itself, renaming it sarcastically. 'If they are doing the Election Commission's job themselves, then what was the SIR for? This was supposed to be a Special Intensive Revision. This has become a Sangh Intensive Revision, is it not?' he said.

On the Election Commission and Constitutional Institutions

Responding to National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah's remarks on the Election Commission of India (ECI), Kharge called the body a constitutional institution whose role was debated in the Constituent Assembly itself. Citing Dr B.R. Ambedkar's observations, he argued the Constitution could function well only when those governing under it acted responsibly.

He claimed that the present Chief Election Commissioner had 'sold his soul to the BJP' — a pointed allegation likely to draw a sharp political response from both the BJP and the Commission.

Remarks on Sanatana Dharma and the RSS

On Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's remarks on Sanatana Dharma and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Kharge drew a distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva. 'Digvijaya Singh Saab is a strong man. He is not against Sanatana. The RSS does not know the head or tail of this issue,' he said.

He argued that Hinduism had existed for thousands of years while the RSS was about a century old, and that the organisation could not claim to be the sole protector of the religion. 'There is a stark difference between Hinduism and Hindutva. Hindutva was started by the RSS group. Hinduism has been there for 3,000 years. So we have nothing to learn from them,' he said.

With complaints being examined by Returning Officers and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the Form-7 controversy is set to intensify as both parties dig in ahead of the next electoral cycle.