Catholic Sabha urges DC to prevent Form-7 misuse

CH NEWS, UDUPI The Catholic Sabha Udupi Pradesh submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer TK Swaroopa, urging the authorities to prevent the misuse of Form-7 applications during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and ensure that the names of eligible voters are not removed from the voters’ list unjustly. With the SIR process of electoral rolls underway across Karnataka, concerns and apprehensions have been raised in public circles over the alleged misuse of Form-7 applications, which are used for seeking deletion of names from the electoral rolls. The memorandum also referred to concerns that such applications were allegedly being filed targeting minority communities, particularly Christians and Muslims. Against this backdrop, the Catholic Sabha urged the district administration and the Election Department to take strict measures to prevent any form of misuse or injustice. It stressed that special care should be taken to ensure that the names of eligible voters are not deleted from the electoral rolls on the basis of incorrect information, false objections or other unjustified grounds. The Sabha stated that the removal of an eligible voter’s name from the electoral roll is a serious matter as it directly affects the person’s fundamental democratic right. It therefore stressed the need to ensure complete transparency, impartiality and adherence to prescribed procedures throughout the SIR process. The organisation also requested the authorities to publicly disclose the total number of Form-7 applications received so far in district, along with complete details of the applications that have been accepted and rejected. It further sought clear information on whether every voter is being mandatorily served a notice before their name is removed from the electoral roll and whether adequate opportunity is being provided to file objections and present their case during the hearing process. The Catholic Sabha urged the authorities to take all necessary precautionary measures to prevent the misuse of Form-7 applications and ensure that the names of eligible voters are not inadvertently or unjustly deleted from the electoral rolls. It called for special attention to be given to eligible voters belonging to minority communities, Dalits and other vulnerable sections so that their names are not removed on unjustified grounds, the memorandum stated. The delegation comprised Catholic Sabha Udupi Pradesh President Melvin Aranha Shirva, Secretary Juliet D’Souza, Treasurer Urban Lewis, President-designate Louis D’Souza, Udupi Zone President Kiran Lewis, former Presidents Alphons D’Costa, Valerian Fernandes and Mary D’Souza, community leaders Veronica Cornelio and Roshni Oliver, among others.