Indian Opposition Warns Electoral Revision May Strip Muslims of Voting Rights
DID Press: India’s opposition parties have warned that the implementation of the “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of voter lists poses a serious threat to the country’s democracy. Critics argue that the plan goes beyond administrative updates and serves as a targeted tool to strip minorities—especially Muslims—of their voting rights while consolidating the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) power.
The Indian government recently decided to update voter lists nationwide under the SIR plan, which Delhi claims is aimed solely at correcting records and removing deceased or relocated individuals. However, opposition parties warn that the revision could be used to systematically disenfranchise Muslims.
Intense debates have taken place in the Indian Parliament over the past week, with lawmakers clashing over the SIR process, which is currently underway in nine states and three union territories. This initiative is considered one of the largest changes to India’s voter registration system in decades.
The Modi government portrays SIR as a purely administrative effort to update voter rolls. Opposition parties, however, accuse the BJP of using SIR as a form of “covert citizenship census,” aimed at removing the poor, migrants, and religious minorities—particularly Muslims—under the pretext of targeting “illegal immigrants.”
Critics say the plan aligns with the Hindu nationalist project, which, over 11 years of BJP rule, has systematically sought to transform secular India into a “Hindu Rashtra,” sharply polarizing society along religious lines.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress Party leader and key opposition figure, said in Parliament that SIR is part of a broader Hindu nationalist strategy to “steal votes” and weaken the foundations of democratic elections. “When you destroy votes, you destroy the fabric of this country, modern India, and the fundamental idea of India,” he warned.
Opposition parties also view SIR as a covert revival of the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC), previously implemented in Assam, which led to widespread detentions and expulsions of thousands—mostly Muslims.
In response, Amit Shah, India’s Home Minister, denied the accusations, describing SIR as necessary to “clean” voter lists of “infiltrators,” a term critics say is applied primarily to Muslim migrants. “Is a democracy secure if its prime minister and council are determined by illegal migrants?,” he asked.
Early implementation in Bihar, with a population of about 130 million, led to the removal of over 6.5 million people from voter rolls. While the Election Commission cited deaths or relocations, widespread complaints revealed that many residents were still alive and living in the region. The opposition said most of those removed were Muslims or groups with no BJP support base. In the next state elections, Modi’s party won by a historic margin.
In West Bengal, a state with a significant Muslim population bordering Bangladesh, concerns have intensified. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called SIR a “political and deceptive” effort to dominate West Bengal. Local sources report that fear of losing citizenship has caused severe psychological stress and even led to suicides.
In one shocking case, Jahir Mal, an uneducated Muslim worker, ended his life after being terrified by the removal of his name from voter lists, fearing deportation to Bangladesh. His wife said he repeatedly asked what would happen if sent to Bangladesh.
Critics also point to a double standard: while Muslims are removed as “infiltrators,” Hindu migrants from Bangladesh are protected under the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). One individual told The Guardian that local BJP leaders assured him that he would not be deported because he is Hindu, regardless of his residency status.
States such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, governed by opposition parties, have formally opposed the plan. Kerala passed a resolution describing SIR as a “backdoor citizenship census.”
The final voter lists are scheduled for release in February 2026, but due to protests and widespread controversy, deadlines in several states have been postponed.
Source: The Guardian