Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, mounted a vigorous defence of FIRs filed against individuals allegedly misusing Form 7 applications to seek the deletion of voters' names from electoral rolls in Karnataka, asserting that legal action was unavoidable when false information was submitted. The minister's remarks came amid growing political heat over the arrests and targeted a pattern he attributed squarely to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers.

Kharge's Core Argument on Form 7 FIRs

'If they are giving information in Form 7 that I am dead, should I not take up the case? Who is filing these objections? Why are only BJP workers submitting Form-7 applications for deletion of names?' Kharge told reporters in Bengaluru. He noted that several residents of Vijayapura had come forward to assert they were very much alive, despite their names having been flagged for deletion on the grounds of death. He challenged critics to explain why Form 7 filings were reportedly appearing on BJP letterheads and in the names of party bloc presidents, citing incidents in Chikkamagaluru, Ballari, and Belagavi.

Sharp Retort to BJP's Protest Threat

Reacting to opposition leaders' warning that they would enter police stations to protest the FIRs, Kharge dismissed the tactic as ineffective. 'It won't work here. The language of beating and lynching will only happen in Uttar Pradesh. This is Karnataka. Only things will work as per the Constitution written by Babasaheb Ambedkar,' he said. He also turned sarcastic on the BJP's position, saying: 'According to the BJP, if there is a violation of law, we are required to felicitate them. They should be given awards.'

Kharge's Broadside Against Chief Election Commissioner

In arguably the sharpest part of his press briefing, Kharge launched a pointed attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of misusing his constitutional office to manipulate electoral mandates. 'This is nothing but treason. If you are going to misuse your position to manipulate mandates, it is nothing but treason. Gyanesh Kumar will have to pay the price, today or tomorrow,' he alleged. He also questioned the silence of the other two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, and invoked former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan as a benchmark of institutional neutrality, arguing the Election Commission had once commanded wide respect precisely because it adhered strictly to the Constitution.

Constitutional Rights at the Centre of the Dispute

Kharge framed the controversy as a conflict of constitutional rights on both sides. He argued that while submitting a Form 7 is a legal entitlement, citizens whose names are targeted for deletion equally hold a constitutional right to defend their franchise. 'If giving Form-7s is your constitutional right, isn't it my constitutional right to defend my vote? Isn't it my constitutional right to complain that I am alive but these people are saying I am dead?' he asked. He urged BJP leader R. Ashoka and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy to fulfil their constitutional obligations toward citizens.

Congress vs BJP: Who Is Pressuring the Election Commission?

Responding to allegations that the Congress government was leaning on the Election Commission through street protests, Kharge reversed the charge entirely. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were the ones exerting pressure on the poll panel, not his party. He pointed to protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and questioned why Delhi Police was reportedly detaining demonstrators there. Notably, these allegations carry significant weight given that the Election Commission's independence has faced recurring scrutiny across multiple administrations. With local body elections and the next Assembly schedule looming in Karnataka, the Form 7 controversy is unlikely to fade quickly.