The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties of spreading misinformation and creating confusion over the exercise.
Addressing the media in Shillong, BJP Northeast Joint Coordinator Shri Rajiv Babbar said the party had launched a campaign titled “Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao” to explain the purpose of SIR and counter what he described as misleading narratives by the Opposition.
“The Congress party in the country failed to convince people, so they decided to confuse people. As a national party, it is our duty to tell everybody what the truth is,” Babbar said.
He maintained that SIR was a constitutional exercise conducted by the Election Commission under Article 324 of the Constitution and was not an initiative of the BJP. Citing the history of electoral revisions, Babbar claimed that SIR had been conducted 12 times in the country, including on 10 occasions when the BJP was not in power.
Questioning the Opposition’s allegations over the deletion of nearly 13 crore voters, Babbar argued that the figures included deceased voters, duplicate entries and people who had shifted their residences. He claimed that 2.8 crore names were linked to deceased persons, one crore were duplicate entries and 6.3 crore involved voters who had shifted, while questioning the remaining three crore cases.
He alleged that the Opposition was particularly concerned about the verification of voters who could not establish their eligibility through the required documents. Taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc parties, Babbar questioned whether they wanted foreign nationals to be part of India’s electoral system.
Referring to Meghalaya, he said the state should be able to elect its Chief Minister through the votes of its own citizens and not through votes cast by foreign nationals.
On concerns that SIR could lead to the exclusion or deportation of people, Babbar clarified that electoral roll revision and deportation were two separate processes.
“SIR process has nothing to do with deporting people. It is only a voting right. If we find somebody who is not an Indian citizen, there is a process, there is the police and administration to deport them,” he said.
He further assured that no Indian citizen would be targeted on the basis of the exercise, adding that every Indian citizen, whether residing in Meghalaya, Nagaland or Delhi, would continue to enjoy their rights.
Responding to questions about alleged foreign nationals and deleted names, Babbar said the BJP’s position was clear that no foreign national should be allowed to remain on the electoral roll, irrespective of the political constituency or state concerned.
Defending the notices issued during the verification process, he said they were intended to ensure transparency and provide individuals an opportunity to establish their eligibility.