Claim
While the Karnataka Chief Minister is urging voters to participate in SIR, his cabinet colleague Priyank Kharge wants the Election Commission to first answer the party's objections before proceeding.
“व्हाइल द चीफ मिनिस्टर इज़ अर्जिंग वोटर्स टू पार्टिसिपेट इन एसआईआर, हिज़ होम मिनिस्टर प्रियंक खरगे वांट्स द इलेक्शन कमीशन टू फर्स्ट आंसर द पार्टीज़ ऑब्जेक्शंस बिफोर प्रोसीडिंग।”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
Both halves of the claim are corroborated by contemporaneous wire and mainstream reports. On 30 June 2026, Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar personally kicked off the SIR enumeration and urged voters to participate, while his cabinet colleague Priyank Kharge (reported as Home Minister after the May 2026 reshuffle, matching the anchor's on-air description) publicly demanded that the Election Commission first answer the Congress party's objections — eight cabinet-submitted concerns about voter-deletion safeguards — before proceeding with SIR. The anchor's framing of the intra-cabinet contrast is a fair characterization; Kharge also stated he was not opposed to SIR itself.
Evidence
- https://aninews.in/news/national/politics/karnataka-cm-dk-shivakumar-urges-people-to-complete-sir-process-says-save-your-vote-save-your-life20260630092301/ On 30 June 2026, Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar launched the SIR drive by filling his own enumeration form and urged voters to complete the SIR process ('save your vote, save your life'). ✓ reachable · archived
- https://theprint.in/india/not-opposed-to-sir-but-want-ec-to-address-cong-objections-minister-priyank-kharge/2972784/ ThePrint (29 June 2026) reports Priyank Kharge — identified as Karnataka Home Minister — saying he is not opposed to SIR but wants the Election Commission to first address the Congress cabinet's eight objections on voter-deletion safeguards. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://aninews.in/news/national/politics/karnataka-minister-priyank-kharge-says-eci-made-no-replies-on-sir-objections-calls-poll-body-puppets20260630135230/ On the broadcast day (30 June 2026), Kharge reiterated that the ECI had not replied to the party's objections on SIR. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/election-commission-didnt-reply-to-our-objections-priyank-kharge-as-sir-to-begin-in-karnataka-from-june-30-newsalert-4056259 Deccan Herald confirms Kharge's complaint that the EC did not reply to Congress objections even as SIR began in Karnataka on 30 June. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://edunovations.com/currentaffairs/national/karnataka/karnataka-cm-resignation-2026-update/ Context: Siddaramaiah resigned as Karnataka CM on 28 May 2026 and D.K. Shivakumar took over, so the sitting CM at broadcast time was Shivakumar. ✓ reachable · archived