MANGALURU Actor and social activist Prakash Raj has criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls, alleging that it is a systematic attack on democracy, the Constitution and citizens’ right to vote. He was speaking at a press conference and consultative meeting with pro-people organisations and citizens of Dakshina Kannada district at Hotel Ocean Pearl in Mangaluru. Prakash Raj alleged that the Central Election Commission had taken away the voting rights of 13 crore voters across the country. He questioned whether proper notices were issued before names were removed from electoral rolls. He said Karnataka has 5.5 crore voters and questioned the need to complete the SIR exercise within a month when Assembly elections are still two years away. He alleged that 1.08 crore votes in Karnataka were being targeted under the Absent, Shifted, Duplicate, Dead and Others category. He also raised concerns over voters being removed under “Unmapped” and “Logical Discrepancy” categories. He said poor people, transgender persons, migrant workers and youths working in Gulf countries could be affected. Prakash Raj also alleged misuse of Form 7 applications to remove voters’ names. He referred to claims of pre-printed forms being brought to a polling booth in Belagavi North and alleged that applications were being used against Muslim, Christian, tribal and poor voters. He further criticised the centralisation of the process through ECI-Net and raised concerns over changes in the appointment of Election Commissioners and their legal protection. According to Prakash Raj, lawyers, experts and social activists are conducting a social audit at 100 polling stations in Karnataka. He said a press conference would be held in Bengaluru on September 30 to present evidence, followed by a national-level meeting in Delhi on October 1. He urged the Supreme Court to intervene immediately and quash the SIR process, which he described as unscientific.