Panaji: Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, on Sunday, defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, questioning the Congress and its alliance partners over their opposition to the exercise.
Addressing a press conference, Shekhawat stated that the revision was necessary to maintain the sanctity of the electoral process and ensure accurate voter lists.
“Around 80 lakh to one crore people die in the country every year.W hy should the removal of deceased persons’ names from electoral rolls be opposed,” said Shekhawat.
He also claimed that nearly 40 crore people had migrated from their places of residence over the past 20 years, resulting in instances of voters being registered at multiple locations.
He said that removing duplicate entries and the names of deceased and shifted voters was essential to maintaining accurate electoral rolls.
“There are many people who do not have legal documents and are staying in the country. I want to ask Congress whether it is opposing electoral accountability or SIR,” he said.
He maintained that SIR was not intended to deprive eligible voters of their rights but to protect them by ensuring the integrity of electoral rolls. He accused the Congress of creating confusion among people and indulging in what he described as the politics of anarchy.
Shekhawat said that SIR had been conducted on 12 occasions, including 10 times when the Congress was in power.
He questioned why the party had not objected when the exercise was conducted in 2004, a year after a similar revision.
“Congress has a double mindset and approach. It has a different approach while being in power and a different one when out of power. It has always viewed issues through the prism of political benefits,” he alleged.
