Karnataka BJP urges DG-IGP to drop FIRs against workers over Form-7 SIR row
Synopsis
Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra led a senior party delegation to DG-IGP M.A. Saleem on 3 October, demanding withdrawal of FIRs against party workers for filing Form-7 electoral roll objections. He alleged the cases were filed under political pressure from Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and warned of a statewide agitation if the FIRs are not dropped — sharply escalating the SIR controversy.
Key Takeaways
BJP Karnataka President B.Y.
Vijayendra met DG-IGP M.A.
Saleem in Bengaluru on 3 October 2026 to demand withdrawal of FIRs against party workers.
FIRs were registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) over Form-7 applications filed during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Vijayendra alleged the cases were filed under pressure from Chief Minister D.K.
Shivakumar and his ministers.
BJP warned of protests outside police stations and a statewide agitation if FIRs are not withdrawn.
Senior leaders including B.S.
Ashwath Narayan were part of the delegation.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Thursday, 3 October 2026, met Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG-IGP) M.A. Saleem in Bengaluru, urging the police department to withdraw First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against party workers for submitting Form-7 applications under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Vijayendra alleged the cases were filed under pressure from the ruling state government, calling the move an abuse of power.
Who Was in the Delegation
The delegation, led by Vijayendra, included a constellation of senior BJP leaders: former Chief Minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Committee member B.S. Yediyurappa, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former Deputy Chief Minister and MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan, MLAs Byrathi Basavaraj, S.R. Vishwanath, and K. Gopalaiah, as well as MP P.C. Mohan and other prominent party figures.
BJP's Core Argument: Form-7 Is a Legal Right
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Vijayendra maintained that submitting Form-7 — which allows citizens to object to ineligible or irregular entries in the electoral roll — is a statutory provision available under Election Commission of India (ECI) rules.
'Any person can submit Form-7 if there are ineligible or irregular names in the electoral roll. The Election Commission examines the application and takes action if the objection is found valid. If the objection is not justified, it is rejected. This is a normal part of the electoral process,' Vijayendra said.
He alleged that the state government pressured police to register FIRs under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against BJP workers for exercising what he described as a routine legal right. He further claimed the FIRs came after Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his ministers staged a protest before the Election Commission and subsequently pushed the police to act.
Warning of Statewide Agitation
Vijayendra issued a pointed warning, saying the party would not stay quiet. 'We will not remain silent. Protecting our workers is our responsibility, and we are ready to go to any extent to defend them. The cases registered unjustly against our workers must be withdrawn. Otherwise, we will be forced to launch protests, including outside police stations,' he said.
He also responded to Chief Minister Shivakumar's remarks about forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT), arguing that political authority does not give the government the right to deploy the police at will. 'Power is not anyone's family property. The misuse of power should be stopped,' Vijayendra said. He warned that if the state government persisted, the BJP would launch a statewide agitation.
The Broader SIR Controversy
The dispute is rooted in Karnataka's Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls, a process that has become politically charged. Critics of the BJP contend that mass Form-7 objections were used to target voters from specific communities, allegations the party flatly denies. This comes amid a broader national debate over the integrity of electoral rolls and the procedural safeguards around voter-list revisions — an issue that has drawn intervention from the Election Commission of India in multiple states. The standoff in Karnataka pits competing claims about electoral due process and police independence against each other, with both sides signalling they will not back down ahead of future electoral contests in the state.
Point of View
Rather than purely administrative redressal, has handed the BJP a credible grievance narrative. What is missing from both sides' framing is an honest accounting of scale: how many Form-7 applications were filed, from which constituencies, and whether the objections were substantively grounded or deployed as voter-suppression tactics. Until that data is public, both the FIRs and the BJP's protests remain political theatre with real legal consequences for rank-and-file workers caught in the middle.
NationPress
3 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SIR Form-7 row in Karnataka?
The controversy centres on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Karnataka's electoral rolls, during which BJP workers filed large numbers of Form-7 applications objecting to voter-list entries. The state police subsequently registered FIRs against those workers under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which the BJP says is illegal political persecution of a lawful electoral exercise.
Why did BJP leaders meet DG-IGP M.A. Saleem?
BJP Karnataka President B.Y. Vijayendra led a senior party delegation to DG-IGP M.A. Saleem on 3 October 2026 to formally urge withdrawal of the FIRs. The delegation argued that filing Form-7 is a statutory right under Election Commission of India rules and that the FIRs amount to criminalising a legal process.
What is Form-7 and who can file it?
Form-7 is an official objection form under Election Commission of India rules that allows any citizen to flag ineligible or irregular entries in the electoral roll. The Election Commission reviews the objection and acts on it only if found valid; otherwise it is rejected. The BJP maintains that submitting the form is a routine, protected electoral activity.
What action did Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar take?
According to Vijayendra, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his ministers staged a protest before the Election Commission before allegedly pressuring police to register the FIRs. Shivakumar also reportedly mentioned forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the matter, which the BJP has criticised as political overreach.
What has BJP threatened if the FIRs are not withdrawn?
BJP Karnataka President Vijayendra warned that if the FIRs are not withdrawn, the party will launch agitations including protests outside police stations and a statewide movement across Karnataka. He said protecting party workers is a core responsibility and that the BJP is prepared to escalate to any level necessary.
