The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, 15 July submitted a memorandum to Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbu Kumar in Bengaluru, demanding the withdrawal of the state government's Population Register Collection (PRC) notification, alleging it is unconstitutional and amounts to a 'backdoor NRC' being pushed through without the Centre's approval.

What the BJP Memorandum Demands

The delegation, led by Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, along with BJP MLCs C.T. Ravi, N. Ravikumar, and Hanumanth Nirani, former MLA K.S. Manjunath Gowda, and BJP Taluk President T.B. Krishnappa, raised three core demands.

First, the party urged the CEO to ascertain whether the Karnataka government had consulted the Centre before issuing the PRC notification on 26 June, and to determine the criteria being used to verify Indian citizenship. Second, it demanded the immediate withdrawal of the notification in the interest of peace, public order, and state security. Third, it called for an investigation by competent authorities into the genuineness of birth certificates issued by courts and Janata Adalats after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls commenced.

The Constitutional Argument

The BJP's central legal contention is that matters relating to citizenship, population registers, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) fall under the Union List of the Constitution and cannot be undertaken by a state government without explicit Central approval. The party argued that the Karnataka government's decision to proceed with the PRC exercise despite Opposition objections raises serious questions about its intent and legal standing.

'The state government has no authority to conduct any exercise akin to the NRC or maintain a population register, as these subjects fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Union Government,' the BJP leaders stated in their representation.

Overlap With Electoral Roll Revision

The BJP further alleged that the PRC exercise is being conducted simultaneously with the Election Commission of India's ongoing SIR of electoral rolls, creating confusion among citizens and heightening the risk of misuse of personal data. The party urged the Chief Electoral Officer to ensure the PRC exercise does not interfere with the electoral roll revision process currently underway across Karnataka.

According to the memorandum, the party has raised concerns over the lack of legal clarity, transparency, and data-protection safeguards in the collection of citizens' information — a charge the state government has not publicly addressed as of this report.

Political Backdrop and What Comes Next

The confrontation is set to sharpen the political battle between the ruling Indian National Congress (Congress) government in Karnataka and the Opposition BJP ahead of the state's upcoming local body elections. The BJP has also sought the immediate suspension of the PRC exercise until its legality is examined and the state government provides necessary clarifications.

With the Election Commission now formally in receipt of the memorandum, the BJP's next move will likely depend on whether the CEO directs the state government to respond — a development that could further escalate the standoff in the weeks ahead.