Police, people and politicians in Rajasthan and Bengal are huddling over the Election Commission’s latest voter‑list cleanup called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The move, aimed at keeping the roll fresh, has sparked outcry after some voters—especially minorities—saw their names removed.
On Sunday, Imam Maulana Mohd Shafique Qazmi, a senior cleric at Kolkata’s Nakhoda Masjid, told that while the Election Commissioner can correct the roll every ten years, the process should not punish ordinary voters. He said the removal of minority names in Bihar looks “discriminatory,” and suggested the government give out lifetime certificates instead of deleting names outright.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi added that the SIR rushed through without proper checks. “If voters whose names are gone don’t verify their status, there will be chaos on polling day,” he warned. He said the AIMIM’s Bihar group has filed a case in the Supreme Court over the draft electoral roll that already cut 6.5 million names, and just 3.5 million more were removed after review.
Polls in Bihar will take place in two phases on Nov. 6 and 11, with results counted on Nov. 14. The Election Commission announced dates after finishing the SIR. The final Bihar roll released last month lists 7.42 crore electors, down from 7.89 crore in June.
The debate highlights a key issue: whether voter rolls should be cleansed quickly or with deeper community input. For now, voters, officials and political parties remain on high alert as the months to the elections close in.
Source: aninews
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