SIR for purification of voters’ list: Amit Shah in Gujarat

Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the 61st BSF Raising Day celebrations in Bhuj on Friday. Pic/PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the victory of the BJP-led NDA in the Bihar polls was a mandate against infiltrators in the country because citizens will never favour those parties that support such illegal immigrants.

Shah said some political parties are opposing the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) as they want to make sure that names of infiltrators remain on the electoral rolls. He described the SIR as "purification" of voters' list.

He was addressing the BSF Diamond Jubilee (61st Raising Day) celebrations in Bhuj, in Gujarat's Kutch district.

"Today, the BSF [Border Security Force] is engaged in preventing infiltration at all borders of the country. Stopping infiltration is not only essential for national security but also to protect the democratic system of the country from being polluted," Shah said.

"However, some political parties are trying to weaken the government's anti-infiltration campaign," he said, adding, "I want to make it clear that we will deport every single infiltrator from this country. This is our resolve." The Opposition, including the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, where Assembly elections will be held next year, has objected to the SIR, claiming that it threatens to disenfranchise lakhs of voters.

Stressing that SIR is a process to secure and purify India's democracy, Shah said every citizen should fully support it.

During BSF's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Shah praised its role in Maoist-affected areas. He thanked the joint efforts of all security forces stating that India will be free from the Maoist menace very soon.

The Home minister said that so far, 2013 brave soldiers of the BSF have made the supreme sacrifice while securing the country's borders. The BSF has 193 battalions and a strength of over 2.76 lakh jawans. The force currently guards and monitors over 2289 km of the border with Pakistan and over 4095 km of the border with Bangladesh.

'Incapable home minister'

The Trinamool Congress on Friday hit out at Shah over his remarks on SIR, accusing him of using the "infiltrator rhetoric" to target West Bengal and alleging that the Centre had failed on national security.

TMC MP Sagarika Ghose took the attack further and directly sought Shah's resignation.

"Mr Amit Shah is a singularly incapable Home Minister. If infiltrators are coming in, it is his failure," she said.

Booth Level Officer kills self in Gujarat's Gir

A school teacher deployed to work as a Booth Level Officer (BLO) allegedly died by suicide in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district on Friday, with his family claiming that he left a note citing "mental stress and exhaustion" due to the SIR of electoral rolls as reasons behind the extreme step.

The teacher, Arvind Vadher, hanged himself at his house in Devli village of Kodinar taluka at around 6.30 am, an official said.

Vadher was a teacher at a government primary school in Chhara village in Kodinar, and was recently assigned the duty as a BLO for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise.

In the purported suicide note addressed to his wife, Vadher blamed the SIR duty for taking the extreme step.

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