Kapil Sibal urges Supreme Court to halt alleged bulk voter deletions under SIR

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to intervene in alleged bulk deletions from electoral rolls under the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision exercise, claiming the process was being used to manipulate voter lists.

The former Union minister alleged that the revision exercise under way in several states was intended to help the Bharatiya Janata Party win elections.

Sibal’s remarks followed a media report alleging that BJP agents in Jharkhand’s Godda district had sought the deletion of voters, many of them from the minority community. According to the report, Booth Level Officers employed by the state government had raised concerns over the requests.

“Politics of exclusion. BJP agents: Target Muslims, seek bulk deletions. Supreme Court needs to stop this!” Sibal wrote on X.

He further alleged that the SIR was an exercise to manipulate electoral rolls and secure electoral victories for the BJP.

His comments came a day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of working to protect the BJP’s hold on power. They used the expressions “BJP Kursi Bachao Aayog” and “Vote Chori Aayog” while attacking the poll body.

Kharge and Gandhi alleged that the ruling party was attempting to weaken Indian democracy through the theft of votes and claimed that the public would punish those responsible.

Rahul Gandhi also raised concerns over the reported exclusion of more than 2.06 crore electors from Maharashtra’s draft electoral rolls following the revision exercise.

He alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission continued to change their methods to ensure the ruling party’s victory at any cost. Gandhi claimed that a government built through “vote chori” did not value the public or respect its mandate.

With PTI inputs