The Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, 30 July alleged that a booth supervisor appointed by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) was assaulted in the communally sensitive D.J. Halli locality of Bengaluru after he allegedly refused to include persons described as 'illegal Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals' in the electoral rolls. The party demanded the resignation of Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge over the incident.

What BJP Alleged at the Press Conference

BJP Bengaluru North District President S. Harish, addressing a press conference at the party's state headquarters, Jagannath Bhavan, alleged that booth supervisor Fakirappa — assigned to the D.J. Halli ward under Pulakeshinagar Assembly constituency in the Bengaluru North Lok Sabha segment — was attacked by a group of eight people.

According to Harish, local residents had allegedly pressured Fakirappa to enrol persons 'illegally residing in the ward' in the voters' list. 'Fakirappa refused, stating that they were illegal immigrants and could not be included in the electoral rolls without valid documents. It was for this reason that he was assaulted,' Harish alleged.

Condition of the Victim

Harish further claimed that Fakirappa sustained injuries to his teeth and lips during the attack and was admitted to a hospital for treatment. He alleged that the supervisor is now 'frightened and not traceable,' adding that there is pressure from local leaders to keep the matter from becoming public.

The BJP leader accused the state government of shielding the accused rather than ensuring the safety of its own officials. He demanded adequate protection for all Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) engaged in electoral work across the state.

Link to Past Violence and Broader Pattern

Harish drew a direct link between the alleged assault and individuals he claimed were involved in the D.J. Halli violence of August 2020, alleging that the government has continued to extend protection to those elements. Notably, the 2020 riots in D.J. Halli and K.G. Halli — triggered by an allegedly derogatory social media post by a relative of then-Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy — left at least three people dead and over 50 injured. The MLA's residence and the K.G. Halli police station were torched during that violence.

The BJP also linked the alleged assault to earlier attacks on civic personnel engaged in clearing footpath encroachments in Shivajinagar, arguing that the pattern reflects a systemic failure by the state government to protect public servants.

BJP's Demand and Political Fallout

'If the government cannot protect its own officials from being attacked in broad daylight, how will it protect ordinary citizens?' Harish said, demanding Home Minister Priyank Kharge's resignation on moral grounds. The allegations come amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has already drawn political controversy across Karnataka. The state government has not issued a formal response to BJP's allegations as of the time of this report.

With assembly-level electoral work intensifying across the state, the safety of ground-level electoral officials is likely to remain a flashpoint between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP in the weeks ahead.