Priyank Kharge and Amit Shah — AI-assisted collage of file portraits. AI Image, thebengalurulive.com
Bengaluru: Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to face an open press conference on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Election Commission and the Chief Election Commissioner, ending his post with a question in Gujarati: “તમે શું કહો છો, મોટા ભાઈ?”
The closing line means, “What do you say, Mota Bhai?” It capped a pointed challenge in which Kharge demanded questions without scripted interviews, selected journalists or prior approval.
Demand for an unscripted press conference
Addressing Shah as “Mota Bhai”, Kharge sarcastically said he had almost been ready to file a missing-person complaint and was glad the minister had “finally resurfaced”. He then asked Shah to hold an open press conference on SIR, the Election Commission and the CEC.
“No scripted interviews. No handpicked journalists. No pre-approved questions. Just an open press conference,” Kharge wrote.
He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he had not faced an open press conference in 13 years. Kharge then suggested that, if Shah had ambitions of occupying the Prime Minister’s chair, facing questions would give him an opportunity to demonstrate courage.
The post was written mainly in English, with the concluding Gujarati question addressed directly to Shah.
Karnataka voter list: related coverage
- Karnataka’s Teen Voter Roll Jumps 84.5%; Young Women Trail in 33 Electoral Districts (27 October 2026)
- Missing From Bengaluru’s Final Voter Roll? Eligible Residents Can Still Apply With Form 6 (27 October 2026)
- Bengaluru Final Voter List 2026: 66.21 Lakh Electors Across Four Lok Sabha Seats; All 32 Assembly Segments (27 October 2026)
- Karnataka Final Voter List Has 4.55 Crore Electors; Belagavi Tops District Ranking, Kodagu Last (27 October 2026)
- Karnataka Receives 2.28 Lakh Form 7 Applications; CEO Explains Why These Aren’t All Voter Deletions (23 October 2026)
Earlier SIR and Form 7 coverage — dated reports
- Karnataka SIR hearings 99.56% complete; final electoral roll due October 27 (16 October 2026)
- ECI Limits Individual Form 7 Applications to 10 in Claims Period, Five Monthly in Continuous Updating (9 October 2026)
- ECI Orders Pre- and Post-SIR Roll Check, Door-to-Door Drive for Left-Out Voters (2 October 2026)
- Karnataka CEO Orders Inquiry Before Action on False Voter Forms Amid Form 7 Row (1 October 2026)
- DK Shivakumar Seeks Probe Into Pre-Printed Form 7 Applications, Source of Voter Data (1 October 2026)
- DK Shivakumar Stages Dharna at CEO Office, Demands Criminal Case Over Alleged Form 7 Voter Deletion (1 October 2026)
- Benake alleges over 10,000 bogus voters in Belagavi North, obstruction of Form 7 objections (12 October 2026)
- INDIA Bloc Sets November 5 Bengaluru Protest Against SIR, Plans Statewide Campaign (16 October 2026)
- Vijayendra Says Karnataka BJP Will Launch Stir Over SIR Form-7 FIRs and PRC Issue (11 October 2026)
- Karnataka NDA Meets Governor, Alleges SIR Interference and Misuse of Police (6 October 2026)
- Kumaraswamy Warns of Police Station Siege After 10 AM Tuesday Over SIR Cases (5 October 2026)
- HD Kumaraswamy Alleges Shivakumar’s SIR Protest Aims to Divert Attention From NICE Row (1 October 2026)
- Pralhad Joshi Questions Absence of FIR Over DK Shivakumar’s CEO Office Dharna (1 October 2026)
- DK Shivakumar Denies Staging Protest at Election Office, Says ‘File a Case if I Broke the Law’ (2 October 2026)
- Karnataka Congress Plans October 10–20 Padyatras Against Alleged Voter-List Deletions (8 October 2026)
Legislative Council results — separate Teachers and Graduates electorates
- A P Ranganath Wins Bengaluru Teachers Seat by 908 Votes (27 October 2026)
- K M Suresha Wins Karnataka South East Graduates Seat; 66,020 First-Preference Votes (28 October 2026)
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