DMK President and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin strongly criticized the Election Commission’s proposed “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of electoral rolls on Sunday. He warned that conducting such an exercise just months before the Assembly elections is a deceptive tactic designed to remove genuine voters from the lists.
“We witnessed this in Bihar, where it stripped people of their voting rights, and now the Election Commission is attempting to implement it in other states, including Tamil Nadu,” Stalin stated during a multi-party meeting in Chennai. Representatives from 40 political parties attended the gathering, expressing collective concern.
Highlighting the sanctity of the ballot, Mr. Stalin emphasized, “Voting is the very essence of democracy, and this fundamental right is currently under severe threat. It is the urgent responsibility of all political parties and democratic forces to confront and overcome this danger.” While acknowledging the need for accurate electoral rolls for fair elections, he insisted, “However, any such revision requires ample time and must be carried out in a calm and unbiased environment, free from undue pressure.”
Opposition Leaders Echo Concerns
K. Veeramani, President of Dravidar Kazhagam, pointed out a constitutional vacuum, stating, “There is no constitutional provision that permits a Special Intensive Revision to be conducted statewide or across multiple states. Furthermore, the concept of a booth-level officer, as proposed, lacks constitutional backing.”
TNCC President K. Selvaperunthagai brought up discrepancies observed elsewhere. “The Election Commission added 90 lakh voters to Maharashtra’s electoral rolls within just five months, many of whom lacked proper addresses or even fathers’ names,” he revealed, raising questions about the thoroughness and legitimacy of such rapid revisions.
MDMK General Secretary Vaiko expressed disappointment that the previous ruling party (AIADMK) and certain other groups chose to support the SIR and abstain from the meeting. He cautioned, “If the SIR proceeds, over 75 lakh voters from other states could potentially cast ballots in the Tamil Nadu elections. This initiative appears to be orchestrated by the BJP, which is strategically targeting Tamil Nadu for its own political gain.”
P. Shanmugam, CPI(M) State Secretary, labeled the SIR a “dangerous measure” that threatens to deny citizens their voting rights. “We must educate the public and mobilize opposition. We have consistently protested against the BJP government’s anti-Tamil Nadu policies, and now we must organize demonstrations to clearly state our objection to the SIR,” he urged.
A Broader Threat to Citizenship?
VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan expanded on the severity of the situation, asserting that the SIR targets not just voting rights, but citizenship itself. “We must grasp the underlying political motives. The BJP’s objective isn’t merely to revoke voting rights; it aims to establish a National Register of Citizens to advance its agenda, and it is leveraging the Election Commission for this purpose. We need to formulate bold political strategies to counter this,” he alleged, indicating a deeper, more insidious agenda behind the revision.