Yogi Adityanath backs SIR amid protests, says ineligible names must be removed from voter rolls

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday backed the Election Commissions Special Intensive Revision SIR of electoral rolls saying that identifying and removing ineligible names that have been illegally included in voter lists is necessary to protect Indias security unity and integrityHis remarks came amid protests by opposition parties and civil society groups against the SIR exercise and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Critics of the revision have alleged that the exercise could result in eligible voters being removed from electoral rolls The Election Commission has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and maintained that the revision is being conducted under established proceduresAdityanath backs electoralroll revisionIn a post on X Adityanath said the SIR exercise was important for strengthening Indias democratic system and ensuring that electoral rolls accurately reflect eligible votersHe said India had upheld democratic values for centuries and described the revision as an effort to further strengthen that democratic traditionIdentifying ineligible names illegally included in the voter list and removing them as per rules is essential for Indias security unity and integrity he saidThe chief ministers comments come at a time when the SIR exercise has become a major political issue with opposition parties questioning the process and alleging that eligible voters could be excluded from electoral rollsThe Election Commission however has maintained that the exercise is intended to identify and correct inaccuracies in voter lists and that the statutory process provides safeguards for voters to raise claims and objections The ECIs voter services portal currently provides facilities to search SIR records submit documents against notices and register new votersFocus on deceased shifted and duplicate entriesAdityanath specifically referred to the need to verify electoralroll entries involving deceased voters people who have permanently shifted from their registered addresses and duplicate entriesHe said such verification was necessary to ensure that electoral rolls remain accurate and that only eligible voters are includedThe Election Commissions SIRrelated material similarly identifies categories such as absent shifted dead and duplicate electors for verification In Maharashtra for example the Chief Electoral Officers website has published information relating to the ASDD mdash absent shifted dead and duplicate mdash category as part of the SIR exerciseThe identification of such entries does not by itself mean that every name flagged will be permanently removed The electoralroll process includes mechanisms through which eligible voters can provide documents and raise claims or objectionsCM urges young voters to registerAdityanath also appealed to people who have attained the age of 18 to ensure that their names are included in the electoral rollLet us participate in building a clean strong and transparent voter list he saidThe Election Commissions voter services portal similarly directs citizens who are 18 or above or who will turn 18 in the coming months to use Form 6 for new voter registrationThe emphasis on registering newly eligible voters comes amid the broader revision of electoral rolls in several states Election authorities have also been conducting campaigns and providing mechanisms for eligible people who were left out or whose records require correction to seek inclusionOpposition raises concerns over SIRAdityanaths comments contrast with the position taken by opposition parties which have accused the Election Commission of conducting the SIR in a manner that could disenfranchise eligible votersThe issue has triggered protests in several parts of the country including Delhi and Mumbai Thousands of protesters took part in demonstrations on October 4 demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar with opposition leaders alleging irregularities in the electoralroll revision The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected claims that the exercise is intended to benefit the ruling partyECI maintains process has safeguardsThe Election Commission has continued to defend the SIR and its procedures amid the political controversy The poll panel has maintained that the exercise is aimed at cleaning up electoral rolls while ensuring that eligible voters are not excludedWith inputs from PTI