Congress Calls SIR 'Shah Instigated Removal' of Voters, Alleges Bias
Congress alleges the SIR process amounts to 'Shah Instigated Removal' of voters, targeting the economically and socially disadvantaged.
The Congress has sharpened its attack on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, arguing that the acronym in effect stands for "Shah Instigated Removal" of voters. The opposition party's formulation directly names Union Home Minister Amit Shah, framing the exercise as a deliberate purge rather than a routine roll revision.
In its statement, the party said there is abundant evidence to show that the large-scale deletions taking place across States are overwhelmingly of voters from the most economically and socially disadvantaged and deprived sections of society. It pointed to the pattern of removals as proof that the process is not neutral in its impact.
The party's claim rests on the assertion that those dropped from the rolls belong disproportionately to marginalised communities, though the wire material did not specify which States or how many voters are affected. The Congress has demanded that the deletions be examined in light of this alleged bias.
The SIR exercise has been underway in multiple States, with the opposition consistently questioning its design and consequences. The Congress's latest remarks escalate that criticism by tying the process directly to the Home Minister and characterising it as an instrument of exclusion.
Officials have not responded to the specific allegation in the wire material. The dispute is likely to intensify as the revision proceeds and more State-level data on deletions emerges.