Asaduddin Owaisi Expresses Concern Over Implication of SIR
AIMIM chief warns voter deletions could trigger questions over citizenship status
Hyderabad: Expressing concern over the implications of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral roll, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said that if an individual’s name is omitted during the exercise, it is not merely a matter of losing the ‘right to vote,’ but questions may also be raised regarding that person’s ‘citizenship status.’
Owaisi was speaking on Thursday at a meeting with religious leaders and community elders in Nampally, aimed at encouraging greater public participation in the voter verification process.
The MIM chief, who has started a ‘paidal daura’ in the party's strongholds to encourage voters to register, noted that the purpose of the outreach was not to frighten people but to create awareness and ensure that citizens are adequately prepared for the exercise.
He said that the names of more than 6.5 crore persons had been excluded during the SIR in several states. Questioning the seriousness of the issue, Owaisi remarked that this was an issue that could have far-reaching consequences for millions of citizens. “Why is it that the voters have to undergo the punishment for the mistakes of the Election Commission, where it failed to compile the voter list of 2002,” he asked.
Owaisi urged the Election Commission of India to take into account the PAN card, ration card and driving license during the enrolment process, as Telangana does not serve permanent residence certificate, National Register of Citizens and family register, unlike some states.
Over the question of infiltration, the Hyderabad MP challenged the claims and noted that in Bihar, where ‘infiltration’ was reported, in those handful of identified foreigners, only a fraction were Muslim. He also pointed out that 27 lakh voters in West Bengal were subjected to tribunals or deleted from rolls, questioning the basis for labelling them as ‘infiltrators.’
The AIMIM chief also questioned the rejection of AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination papers.