Govt Officer in K'taka Attacked for Not Including 'Bangladeshis, Pakistanis' in SIR List, Claims BJP

A government officer engaged in the SIR of electoral rolls was brutally assaulted by a group of around eight people in Pulakeshi Nagar after he refused to include "Bangladeshis and Pakistanis" in the voters' list, a senior BJP leader claimed on Thursday.

Bengaluru North president and former deputy Mayor S Harish demanded the resignation of Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge over the incident alleging that officers were living in terror.

Addressing a press conference here, Harish claimed a superintendent rank officer Fakirappa, who was overseeing Special Intensive Revision-related work at 10 booths in the constituency, suffered serious injuries in the alleged assault.

He also alleged that while three persons had been arrested, several others involved in the attack were yet to be apprehended.

"Fakirappa was dragged on the road and brutally assaulted. Around seven or eight persons allegedly attacked him because when they were pressuring him to include Bangladeshis and Pakistanis in the voters' list, he refused, saying, 'they are infiltrators, we cannot include them. They do not have any valid documents,'" Harish alleged.

Fakirappa was admitted to hospital with injuries to his teeth and lips, he said and claimed attempts were made to suppress the incident.

"He was beaten so badly that his teeth were damaged and his lips were cut. He is so terrified that he is not even willing to speak," he said, alleging that local Muslim leaders and the local MLA had exerted pressure on the officer.

Harish further alleged that the assailants were linked to those involved in the DJ Halli violence way back in 2020 and accused the government of failing to act against them.

"These are the same people who, during the DJ Halli incident last time, attacked the police and the police station. Yet the government does nothing against them," he said.

Targeting Home Minister Priyank Kharge, the BJP leader questioned the government's handling of the case. "Today, under Priyank Kharge's Home Department, if government officials are being assaulted in broad daylight in the middle of the road, then whom is this government trying to protect," he asked.

Drawing a parallel with the Opposition's demand for former Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the alleged NEET paper leak, Harish said, "just as they demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak, today our officials are being assaulted here." "Priyank Kharge should resign. We, the Bharatiya Janata Party, demand his resignation." Harish also demanded immediate security for officials engaged in the electoral revision exercise.