Congress announced a major protest on Tuesday against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. It will hold a major rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan in the first week of December. Congress leaders alleged the SIR process is being “misused” to delete targeted voters in multiple states.
Congress Alleges Political Harassment to ECI
Following a high-level meeting in Delhi, Congress general secretary K. C. Venugopal alleged the Election Commission is working “on behalf of the BJP and Narendra Modi”. He claimed, the SIR process aims to delete votes from particular social groups, and he claimed the process was designed to weaken opposition parties ahead of important elections.
Venugopal added, Congress will “take the fight to the streets” and expose what they call “a well-planned attack on democracy”. The meeting had party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in attendance.
Party Leaders Emphasize Voter Deletion Issues
According to Venugopal, Congress units in all the impacted states expressed serious concern. He stated that numerous leaders are convinced that the SIR was “engineered in order to delete targeted votes.” This patern, he asserts, began in Bihar and is happening now in 12 state and Union Territories.
He also underscored the extreme pressure placed on Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Venugopal heralded that many BLOs committed suicide due to impossible timelines. He argued that revisions generally take between six months to one year. In contrast, the current SIR must take place in a month. He articulated concerns regarding the overwhelming nature of the project.
Kerala Takes the Lead Against SIR
The Kerala state has formally opposed the SIR proposal. On Monday, the Kerala Assembly passed a unanimous resolution in urging the elections commission to delay the exercise. Venugopal articulated that all of the political parties in the state were in agreement and supportive of the demand except the BJP. He reported that Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer warned that this was not the right time for SIR.
Despite this, the Election Commission has decided to go ahead with the process. Venugopal stated that this refusal made Congress more certain that the Election Commission is acting with political agency.
SIR Launches Across 12 States and UTs
The SIR is now underway in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, with four of those states—Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry—facing assembly elections next year. Congress leaders are concerned about the timing of SIR as it raises questions about fairness.
Congress Mobilizes across the Country
The party is now planning a big mobilization at Ramlila Maidan soon. Venugopal stated that lakhs of supporters will gather for the protest. He said it will highlight the “illegal and unethical” way in which SIR is undertaken. He also mentioned that the party will ramp up protests in all affected states.
Congress leaders explained that the SIR is a “direct threat” to the democratic process. They promised to resist, was well as involve a mixture of political, legal and public pressure. The party also stated, it will keep raising the issue until the Election Commission commits to a these revisions of the voter roll are all fair and transparent.
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