Karandlaje seeks Amit Shah’s intervention against K’taka PRC on constitutional, security grounds
Mangalore Today News Network
Bengaluru, July 10, 2026: Amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene over the Karnataka Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC), 2026, alleging that the proposed measure raises serious constitutional and national security concerns.
In a letter dated July 8, the Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises said the proposed certificate could undermine the country’s uniform framework governing citizenship and internal security.
Karandlaje’s appeal comes after Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that the state government would issue Permanent Residence Certificates to help eligible residents meet the documentation requirements under the ongoing electoral roll revision exercise. Subsequently, the Karnataka Revenue Department issued guidelines stating that the PRC would serve as proof of an individual’s permanent residence in the state and could be obtained through both online and offline applications.
In her letter, Karandlaje argued that the Constitution of India provides for a single citizenship across the country and that the introduction of a Permanent Residence Certificate by the Karnataka government seeks to create a separate category of "permanent residents" without constitutional or statutory backing.
She contended that such a classification is arbitrary, lacks any legitimate constitutional objective and violates Article 14 of the Constitution. According to her, creating a distinct category of permanent residents amounts to granting a legal recognition that has no sanction under the Constitution.
The BJP leader also expressed concern over the eligibility criteria prescribed for obtaining the certificate, stating that they appear to be primarily based on residence and local verification by revenue authorities, with no mandatory mechanism for verifying Indian citizenship through competent central agencies.
Karandlaje warned that this could allow illegal immigrants and foreign nationals to obtain PRCs through local documents or fraudulent means. Once issued, such certificates could be used to access state benefits, government documents, educational admissions, employment opportunities and other entitlements, thereby legitimising illegal residence and undermining efforts to identify and deport illegal immigrants.
She further noted that matters relating to citizenship, immigration, foreigners and internal security fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Union government. Any state-level mechanism that indirectly creates a status resembling permanent residency, she said, could interfere with these constitutional functions and weaken the country’s uniform framework on citizenship and internal security.
"The issuance of such certificates without proper citizenship verification may facilitate the integration of illegal immigrants into the administrative framework of the state, posing a serious threat to national security and public order," she stated.
Karandlaje requested the Union Home Minister to examine the constitutional validity of the Karnataka PRC, 2026, direct the state government to keep its implementation in abeyance pending such an examination, and seek a detailed report from the Karnataka government regarding the constitutional and statutory authority under which the notification was issued.
She also urged that no Permanent Residence Certificate be issued without comprehensive verification of Indian citizenship through competent central agencies and sought necessary action to safeguard the constitutional framework, national security and the principle of equality guaranteed under the Constitution.
"Considering the far-reaching constitutional implications and the serious concerns relating to national security, I request your immediate intervention in the matter," she said in the letter.
Karandlaje seeks Amit Shah’s intervention against K’taka PRC on constitutional, security grounds