Sasikanth Senthil NEW DELHI: With SIR again in controversy, Congress on Tuesday warned that the “hasty” electoral review would cost the democratic rights of the poor and vulnerable sections in big numbers as it accused the Election Commission of running the exercise in an adhoc manner with constant updates and new directions to BLOs.Congress spokesperson Sasikanth Senthil questioned the statement of home minister Amit Shah that SIR is being done to remove illegal immigrants, asking why is the home minister clarifying on an issue that EC should be speaking on. “Is EC operating under the home minister?” he asked.He said 97 lakh names have been left out in Tamil Nadu which does not have any “infiltrators”, and the duplicate names are generally of migrants who keep moving. He argued that SIR is like a census which seeks to create voters’ list from scratch, which is the reason it was done over two years and in a staggered manner in the past, unlike the present tight deadline of a month or two. He said weaker sections and migrants will be left out of voters’ lists in big numbers after the present SIR.Senthil said Bihar continues to have 14.5 lakh duplicate voters despite SIR, which shows the hasty and unplanned execution of the exercise. He said EC had for years been using a “de-duplication software” to identify duplicate voters, but suddenly decided to drop its use for SIR in Bihar. Referring to media reports to make the charge, Senthil said EC again made a U-turn and decided to reintroduce the software for the ongoing SIR in 12 states. He said such abrupt actions are creating doubts in the minds of people, especially when huge numbers like 97 lakh are left out of the preliminary rolls in Tamil Nadu.The MP said, “We find this whole process very fishy. EC needs to come out with proper reasoning of why this has happened.”Senthil said ground reports and experiences of elected representatives show that EC is conducting SIR in a hasty manner, without proper training to BLOs. He said while the whole process is underway, the BLO app is being updated by some new protocol every day.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosDRDO Successfully Tests Pinaka Long-Range Guided Rocket In Odisha, To Be Inducted In Indian Army’UPSC Is Complete Waste Of Time’: PM’s Economic Advisor Sanjeev Sanyal On AI Era EducationHindu Guard Killed By Colleague In Bangladesh, Third Death In Days Raises Minority Safety Fears’Deeply Concerned’: PM Modi Reacts To Reports Of Attack On Putin’s House, Ukraine Responds“No Racial Angle”: SSP Rules Out Alleged Slurs in Angel Chakma KillingCongress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Flags Attacks on Migrant Workers to PM Modi’Will Rid Bengal Of Infiltrators’: Amit Shah Slams Mamata Banerjee’s 14-Year Rule, Sounds Poll BugleFrom Defence To Civil Skies: HAL’s Dhruv-NG Helicopter Takes Flight In India’s Aviation PushJapanese Tourist Harassed in Varanasi on Christmas, Netizens Slam ‘Mob Culture’Chicken’s Neck Threat Sparks Sharp Reply As Nagaland Minister Warns Bangladesh Radicals Boldly123Photostories‘Dhurandhar’: Saumya Tandon aka Ulfat Hasin Baloch says, ‘Aditya Dhar was always on my wish list’ – Exclusive7 weekly routines common among people who live to 100Healthiest fruits of 2025: These 5 fruits are richest in key nutrientsWhich Hindu Idol You Should Bring Home On January 1, 2026From Osho to Swami Vivekananda – Real names of spiritual leadersWinter Special: How to make Maharashtrian Kala Sukha Mutton for dinnerDifferent types of wildlife safaris in India, and where to experience them7 thought-provoking Harry Potter quotes that still resonate5 vitamin deficiencies that are linked to poor hair growth and food sources that can helpKaun Banega Crorepati 17: Kumar Mangalam Birla shares emotional journey after father’s demise; host Amitabh Bachchan reveals strong ties with Birla family123Hot PicksIndigo flight DisruptionsPAN-Aadhaar link statusKhaleda ZiaGold rate todayIncome Tax RefundBahrain Golden Visa 2025Bank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingErika KirkTravis KelceJEE Advanced RegistrationAnjel ChakmaMumbai Bhandup Bus AccidentRobert Kraft vs Gayle Benson Net WorthMLB Trade RumorsAntonio BrownBengaluru PG BlastWWE Raw Highligths
NEW DELHI: With SIR again in controversy, Congress on Tuesday warned that the “hasty” electoral review would cost the democratic rights of the poor and vulnerable sections in big numbers as it accused the Election Commission of running the exercise in an adhoc manner with constant updates and new directions to BLOs.Congress spokesperson Sasikanth Senthil questioned the statement of home minister Amit Shah that SIR is being done to remove illegal immigrants, asking why is the home minister clarifying on an issue that EC should be speaking on. “Is EC operating under the home minister?” he asked.He said 97 lakh names have been left out in Tamil Nadu which does not have any “infiltrators”, and the duplicate names are generally of migrants who keep moving. He argued that SIR is like a census which seeks to create voters’ list from scratch, which is the reason it was done over two years and in a staggered manner in the past, unlike the present tight deadline of a month or two. He said weaker sections and migrants will be left out of voters’ lists in big numbers after the present SIR.Senthil said Bihar continues to have 14.5 lakh duplicate voters despite SIR, which shows the hasty and unplanned execution of the exercise. He said EC had for years been using a “de-duplication software” to identify duplicate voters, but suddenly decided to drop its use for SIR in Bihar. Referring to media reports to make the charge, Senthil said EC again made a U-turn and decided to reintroduce the software for the ongoing SIR in 12 states. He said such abrupt actions are creating doubts in the minds of people, especially when huge numbers like 97 lakh are left out of the preliminary rolls in Tamil Nadu.The MP said, “We find this whole process very fishy. EC needs to come out with proper reasoning of why this has happened.”Senthil said ground reports and experiences of elected representatives show that EC is conducting SIR in a hasty manner, without proper training to BLOs. He said while the whole process is underway, the BLO app is being updated by some new protocol every day.
