SIR used beyond voter rolls: Veteran journalist seeks clarity after passport row

Former The Telegraph editor R Rajagopal has said the controversy over the delay in renewing his passport is "far bigger" than his personal case, arguing that the issue exposes a lack of clarity over how data collected during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being used by government agencies.

Speaking to India Today TV, Rajagopal said the Election Commission had assured the Supreme Court that the SIR exercise was meant only for inclusion or deletion of names from electoral rolls.

"What it shows is how one policy, which the Election Commission of India told the Supreme Court is being implemented solely for the purpose of inclusion or deletion from the voter list, is now being used for purposes that were not intended at all," he said.

"In my case, it's a passport. I've heard of other cases where welfare measures are threatened because a person's name has been removed from the SIR."

'WE NEED POLICY CLARITY'

Rajagopal said the core issue was not whether he eventually received his passport, but whether the government clearly defined how SIR data could be used.

"The solution is not to give me a passport or reject it. The point is there should be policy clarity. Either the judiciary, the executive or the legislature must clarify whether SIR data can be used for this purpose or not," he said.

He warned that the absence of clear rules leaves citizens vulnerable.

"This policy is so uncertain that it can be twisted in any way by anyone implementing it, and the citizen is completely at its mercy."

Rajagopal said he had repeatedly asked police to show him the government order or circular that required a person's name to be restored to the electoral roll before passport verification could be completed.

"I asked the police, 'Can you show me a government order or memo?' This is where the stonewalling began. They simply refused to answer."

WHY HE DIDN'T APPLY UNDER TATKAL

Responding to questions about why he did not apply for a Tatkal passport, Rajagopal said financial reasons played a role.

"I lost my job when I was 56 years old and since then I haven't earned a single penny. Why should I spend double the money on a passport? I don't understand that."

He also clarified that although the delay coincided with his daughter's wedding in California, he had never suggested there was a deliberate attempt to stop him from attending it.

"The wedding was just an important milestone during this process. It was a coincidence."

'I DON'T THINK I WAS SINGLED OUT'

Rajagopal said he had no evidence to suggest he had been personally targeted because of his editorial stance while heading The Telegraph.

"I don't think I've been singled out because I don't have any evidence. I think it's a general problem, far bigger than me."

He added that even if someone believed the issue stemmed from vendetta, the larger concern remained the lack of clarity affecting ordinary citizens.

"I was merely asking for my right as a common Indian. I was not asking as a former editor."

Rajdeep Sardesai concluded the interview by saying, "If this can happen to a former senior editor of a leading national daily, think about the average citizen who will have to run from pillar to post for passport verification."

KERALA LEADERS RALLY BEHIND RAJAGOPAL

The interview came a day after Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, urging him to intervene in Rajagopal's passport renewal application.

In his letter, Satheesan said the passport renewal had reportedly been delayed because of an adverse police verification report linked to Rajagopal's deletion from the electoral roll during the SIR exercise.

"I understand that the adverse report is based on the deletion of his name from the electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision. While the electoral issue is being addressed through the appropriate appeal process, I am informed that the police report has resulted in a delay in the renewal of his passport," Satheesan wrote.

Calling Rajagopal "a renowned journalist", the Kerala chief minister urged Adhikari to "look into the matter urgently".

PINARAYI VIJAYAN CALLS MOVE 'SHOCKING'

Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, also criticised the delay, describing the denial of passport renewal as "shocking".

He said Rajagopal was among around 27 lakh people whose names were removed during the SIR exercise in Kolkata's Ballygunge Assembly constituency and had already challenged the deletion before the tribunal.

According to Vijayan, although Rajagopal was asked to appear before the Regional Passport Office, he was given an appointment only on July 17, preventing him from attending his daughter's wedding in California.

"If this is the experience of a globally known editor, one can only imagine the plight of ordinary citizens in this country," Vijayan said.

He further alleged that the SIR process was being used to selectively target citizens and insisted that "citizenship is not determined on the basis of the SIR".

- Ends