BENGALURU: Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje has questioned the Karnataka government’s move to introduce the Karnataka Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) when the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is already in progress.
Terming the issuance of the PRC as an attempt to protect illegal immigrants, she demanded that the State Government stop issuing the certificate.
Speaking to mediapersons in Bengaluru on Friday, Karandlaje said that the notification issued by the State Government on issuing PRC is illegal and is an attempt to protect illegal immigrants.
“When the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is going on in the state, what is the need to bring up this issue now? The State Government is trying to make those who have come from Bangladesh illegally residents of our country.
The State Government is doing it for its vote bank and is trying to put our country’s security at risk,” she said, adding that no action was taken despite the BJP giving the government data on illegal immigrants in the state. “The State Government does not want the welfare of Kannadigas,” she added.
The Union Minister said that she has also written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking the Centre’s intervention against PRC. In her letter, she has said that the notification raises serious constitutional, legal, and national security concerns that warrant examination by the Union Government.
Karandlaje urged Shah to seek a report from the Karnataka government on the legal basis for the proposed PRC and ensure no certificate is issued without thorough Indian citizenship verification by competent Central authorities.
She argued that the Constitution provides for a single Indian citizenship and alleged that creating a separate category of “permanent residents” without constitutional backing is arbitrary and violates Article 14.
Karandlaje further raised national security concerns over Karnataka’s PRC alleging that the eligibility criteria rely mainly on residence and local verification without mandatory Indian citizenship verification by Central authorities.
She warned that illegal immigrants could fraudulently obtain PRCs, enabling them to access government benefits, admissions, jobs and other entitlements, thereby legitimising unlawful residence and undermining efforts to identify and deport illegal immigrants.
The Union Minister said any state-level mechanism that indirectly creates documentary recognition resembling a permanent residency status has the potential to interfere with these constitutional functions and undermine the uniform framework governing citizenship and internal security across the country.
She urged the Centre to examine the constitutional validity of the Karnataka PRC 2026 and seek a detailed report from the State Government regarding the constitutional and statutory authority under which the notification has been issued, and ensure that no PRC is issued without comprehensive verification of Indian citizenship through the competent Central agencies.
Reacting to Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje’s objection to the PRC, Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge said that they are all legislators and legislators have the power to make policies. “Using this, we are going to issue a government order. We are issuing a PRC from the government and not Congress. We will issue the PRC within the legal framework. What is the problem of the Opposition?” he said.
On one side, they (BJP) say SIR is a master stroke, but when we implement it, they call it illegal, he said. “Let them be clear. Our stand is clear; we want this to happen, and it should be done in a transparent manner,” he added.
Criminal conspiracy: BYV
Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra called the PRC a criminal conspiracy by the State Government to accommodate illegal immigrants. “It is not for the first time such attempts have been made. In each of the Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru, around 10,000 illegal immigrants were accommodated during the previous Congress regime. It is a threat to national security. The State Government should keep aside appeasement and think about national integrity,” he added.
She should write to Prez: BKH
“Shobha Karandlaje should write a letter to the President. She should write a letter saying that Home Minister Amit Shah, who allowed these infiltrators to reach Karnataka, should be immediately dismissed from the cabinet. Karnataka does not share a border with Bangladesh. Illegal immigrants have come as far as Karnataka, a distance of 4,000 km. So, are they eating peanuts?” KPCC president BK Hariprasad said.