SIR a death trap for BLOs: Congress

After claiming the deaths of over 25 booth-level officers (BLOs) owing to SIR-related work stress, the Congress on Friday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Modi government of having blood on their hands, alleging the BLOs are dying under threats and coercion.

Congress senior spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi claimed that the officials are forced to delete OBC votes and work for 18 hours, alleging that the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is nothing but 'vote chori (theft)' by design.

"The so-called Special Intensive Revision has turned into a Special Institutionalised rejig unknown to law. BLOs are dying under inhuman targets, threats and coercion. Suicides in Gir, Fatehpur and Gonda expose the rot. When officials are forced to delete OBC voters and work 18 hours a day, it is no revision, it is vote chori by design. The Modi Government and ECI now have blood on their hands," Singhvi said in a post on X.

His party colleague and spokesperson Supriya Shrinate shared a video of remarks by the wife of a BLO who died by suicide. "Gyanesh Ji, the wife of deceased BLO Vijay Verma from UP is saying.... 'The BLO job has taken my husband's life. How will we run the household, how will we educate our son?'. The son is saying 'SDM says if the feeding of 200 papers hasn't been done, there will be an FIR'. The SIR deadline has turned into a death-line," she alleged in a post on X.

The Congress also posted on X that the SIR is a death trap for BLOs. "The Modi government's latest tool for nationwide vote chori — the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — has become a nightmare for BLOs and electoral officials, to the point that they are paying with their lives one after the other across the states.

"Each day, India is witnessing the deaths of officials deployed on SIR duty. Many have taken the ultimate decision to take their own lives, while others have suffered serious ailments, including heart attacks, that have resulted in their deaths," the party said.

The Congress claimed that in Gujarat's Gir, BLO Arvind Vadher killed himself after citing an inability to cope with the extreme SIR workload. In Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur, Sudhir Kumar, an SIR supervisor, killed himself by hanging after he was threatened with suspension for not attending an official meeting, the party said.

"Shockingly, another BLO from UP has revealed the Modi government's sinister plans of vote chori. Gonda's BLO and assistant teacher Vipin Yadav consumed poison after being coerced by the administration to delete the names of OBC voters and threatened if he failed to comply.

"And these are just a few names from the list of over 25 victims of SIR. BLOs across the states have written to the EC, revealing that “unrealistic targets, 16–18 hour workdays, intimidation and constant threats of suspension” are taking a toll on the mental and physical health of officials," the Congress said.

The Opposition party claimed that the repeated and consistent pleas from officials, unions and their families are falling on deaf ears as the deadly SIR continues hurriedly and ruthlessly under a skewed deadline — "ostensibly to carry out an 'effective' nationwide vote chori".

"This is no revision — this is Special Intrusive Rigging. Because Modi knows that he can't taste electoral victories without a manipulated mandate. But enough is enough! How many more lives will be claimed to enable Modi's illegitimate rule? How many more innocents will pay the price for one man's greed for power? Modi and the Election Commission have blood on their hands," the party said on X.