SIR is a trick to drop genuine voters from the rolls, says Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin

DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said on Sunday that conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls when the Assembly election was only a few months away would be a mere trick to delete the names of genuine voters. “It was done in Bihar, and the Election Commission seeks to do it in other States,” he said, chairing a multi-party meeting organised by the DMK and its allies in Chennai. A total of 40 parties took part at the meeting.

Mr. Stalin said that voting is the body and soul of democracy, and that right is facing a threat. “It is the duty of political parties and democratic forces to stave off this danger. We are not against reforms, but the SIR, which deprived people of their voting rights in Bihar, is being introduced in many States, including Tamil Nadu. It is the need of the hour to express Tamil Nadu’s objections to the exercise,” he said.

The Chief Minister said nobody denied that genuine electoral rolls were necessary for a free and fair election. “However, adequate time should be given for the exercise. It can be done only in an environment free from tension,” he said.

‘No provision’

Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani said there was no provision in the Constitution for conducting the SIR across a State or in several States. “There is no provision for a booth-level officer,” he said.

TNCC president K. Selvaperunthagai said the Election Commission had included 90 lakh voters in the electoral rolls of Maharashtra in five months. “There are no proper addresses or fathers’ names [of these voters] in the rolls,” he said.

MDMK general secretary Vaiko said it was unfortunate that the political party that was in power earlier (the AIADMK) and some others had stayed away from the meeting and expressed themselves in favour of the SIR. “If the SIR is allowed, over 75 lakh voters from other States will be voting in the election in Tamil Nadu. The BJP, which is targeting Tamil Nadu, is behind the SIR for its own advantage,” he said.

CPI(M) State secretary P. Shanmugam said the SIR was a dangerous measure that would deny people their voting rights. “We need to create awareness among the people. We have been raising our voices against the anti-Tamil Nadu policies of the BJP government. We should at least organise a demonstration to express our objection to the SIR,” he said.

‘Against citizenship’

VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan said the SIR was not against the voting rights but against citizenship. “We need to understand the politics behind it. The objective of the BJP is not merely to deny voting rights; it is keen on creating the National Register of Citizens to fulfil its agenda, and the party is using the Election Commission for that purpose. We need to devise some bold political strategies,” he alleged.