An FIR has been registered against Karnataka BJP leader Ravi Patil and others for allegedly attempting to get the names of 198 Muslim voters deleted from the electoral roll in Belagavi district. This incident has led to multiple FIRs across Karnataka, particularly concerning the misuse of Form-7 applications during the ongoing voter revision process.
The case against Patil was registered at Belagavi Market police station following a complaint on September 30 by Meerasab Sanadi, who previously worked as a Booth Level Agent for BJP in Ward No 12 of the Belagavi North Assembly constituency.
According to the FIR, the complainant alleged that while assisting the BLO on September 22, Patil, Shankar Beerappa Naik, and Prashant Deepak Mundinmani, along with 20-25 others, conspired with a malicious intention to target only voters belonging to the Muslim community.
The alleged conspiracy involved creating fake documents to delete the names of 198 voters. The complainant also stated that the Form-7 applications brought by the accused with fake documents contained the names of him and his family members.
At least three FIRs have been registered, including one in Mysuru against a local BJP leader and others. The Mysuru complaint alleges a “conspiracy to get his, his family’s and other members of the Muslim community’s votes deleted and thereby, hurting religious sentiments and creating disturbance.”
These incidents highlight to citizens in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana the importance of transparency and impartiality in the voter list revision process. Protecting the rights of voters is crucial for the democratic process.
