{
  "id": 12405103,
  "title": "SIR being used to divert attention from failures of Congress govt. in Karnataka, says Vijayendra",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/sir-being-used-to-divert-attention-from-failures-of-congress-govt-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-06T15:18:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/sir-being-used-to-divert-attention-from-failures-of-congress-govt-in-karnataka-says-vijayendra/article71551756.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra criticized the Congress government in Karnataka on Tuesday for using the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a distraction from its perceived shortcomings in governance. At a press conference in Dharwad, Mr. Vijayendra questioned Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's claim that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was targeting AHINDA voters, pointing out that the SIR exercise involved officials from the State government. The Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbu Kumar clarified that no immediate deletion of voters' names would occur based on Form-7 applications.\n\nVijayendra defended the SIR exercise, stating it was a mandatory electoral process and referred to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's remarks on the role of electoral roll revision in Keralam. He accused Home Minister G. Parameshwara of misusing police forces by registering cases against BJP workers and \"harassing\" them, vowing to take legal action against such actions.\n\nThe BJP leader alleged that the implementation of the Congress government's five guarantee schemes had strained the State's finances, citing the free bus travel scheme for women and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation's accumulated dues and salary payment difficulties. He also accused the Excise Department of being given unrealistic revenue targets and the sale of liquor through grocery shops.\n\nVijayendra claimed the Congress government had failed to fill about 2.5 lakh vacancies and address farmers' distress due to drought, crop losses, power shortages, and water scarcity. He demanded ₹50,000 per hectare in compensation for affected farmers and accused the government of prioritizing real estate development over agricultural concerns. The BJP leader expressed confidence that the party would fare well in upcoming Legislative Council elections and local polls, claiming it would return to power in Karnataka with over 130 seats in 2028.",
  "summary": "BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday accused the Congress government in Karnataka of using the controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to divert attention from its ‘failures’ in governance",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}