SIR exercise in India method of fraud, plot against democracy, says Priyanka Gandhi
New Delhi: Opposition to the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories is mounting across the country, with concerns that the process could disenfranchise millions, particularly among marginalised communities, including Muslims.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, during her visit to Wayanad announced that her party would oppose the SIR in Kerala, warning that the process, previously conducted in Bihar, amounts to electoral manipulation.
Addressing the media after arriving in Wayanad, she said: “We had opposed it in Bihar as well, both in and outside Parliament, and we will continue to oppose it everywhere. The SIR is a method of fraud and a plot against democracy.” She cautioned that the Bihar exercise, which led to the removal of millions of voters from the rolls, was clearly aimed at restricting citizens’ right to vote. “We have seen what happened in Bihar, and if the same is repeated in other states, it will be a desecration of democracy,” she said.
Echoing her concerns, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed full support for Priyanka Gandhi’s stance, highlighting the threat the SIR poses to democratic participation. He said, “This is a conspiracy to exclude millions of genuine voters from the voter list. Voting is the foundation of democracy; we will not sacrifice it at any cost.”
Stalin convened an all-party meeting on 2 November to unite political parties in opposition to the SIR and called for parties to set aside differences to protect citizens’ voting rights.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Vice President Malik Motasim Khan also voiced deep concern over the SIR initiative, warning that its implementation could undermine the credibility of the electoral process. Referring to the Bihar experience, Khan said in a statement: “The Bihar SIR was marked by serious irregularities, unrealistic timelines, and an alarming lack of transparency. Nearly 65 lakh names were initially deleted from the draft rolls, and even after revisions, around 47 lakh voters remained excluded.”
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan joined the chorus of opposition, calling the SIR a serious threat to democracy. “It is not appropriate to implement the Bihar SIR in other states while its constitutional validity is pending in the Supreme Court,” he said.
