As Oppn Walks Out HM Shah Dismisses Paper Ballot Demand, Promises ‘Clean’ Voter List Through ECI’s ‘SIR’
Shah Says “Names of deceased individuals, foreign nationals, illegal infiltrators to be removed from electoral rolls Through SIR”
“EVMs were used in 2004, 2009 when Congress won, Complaints about them began only after 2014 when opposition lost “
“ Allowing Infiltrators To Elect PMs, CMs Can Be A Bad Precedent For Democracy”
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha witnessed a stormy debate on election reforms on Wednesday, culminating in a robust and detailed response from union Home Minister Amit Shah, while the Congress-led Opposition staged a walkout in protest.
Opening his reply, Amit Shah sharply criticised the Opposition, particularly Congress, for spreading “one-sided lies” and “falsehood” about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
He stressed that the SIR exercise is a constitutional responsibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which functions independently and is not answerable to the government.
“Parliament is not the right place to debate the SIR,” Shah asserted, emphasizing that the government welcomes discussions on electoral reforms but SIR lies within the EC’s purview.
Shah defended the SIR as a “necessary process to cleanse the voter lists,” aimed at removing names of deceased individuals, foreign nationals, and illegal infiltrators from the rolls.
He questioned the integrity of democracy itself if infiltrators influenced the appointment of India’s Prime Minister or Chief Ministers. Acknowledging that some political parties may lose voter bases due to the cleanup, he expressed sympathy for them while underscoring that genuine voters support a clean electoral process.
Addressing Opposition allegations, Shah highlighted what he called their double standards: “When they win, the Election Commission is great; when we win, they say it is flawed.”
He pointed out that the BJP lost elections in states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu without questioning the EC’s credibility, yet the opposition accuses the EC only after BJP victories. He also recalled that EVMs were first used in 2004 and 2009 when Congress won, but complaints about them began only after 2014.
Turning to Congress’s charges of political motivation behind voter deletions, Shah said, “If electoral rolls were corrupted, why did you contest elections?” and accused the Opposition of tarnishing the EC’s image globally. He noted that Congress has not made any suggestions to the EC on electoral reforms since May 2014.
He challenged the Opposition parties saying that any opposition to SIR would ensure their defeat on lines with the result they faced in the recently concluded Bihar Assembly polls.
The Home Minister dismissed claims linking Prime Minister Modi’s public engagements to election announcements, saying the PM is “always among the people.” He also rejected the notion that the government avoids parliamentary debates, asserting that the BJP-led NDA has been open to discussions on electoral reforms.
The Opposition, led by Congress, raised serious concerns throughout the day.
The debate was further marked by heated exchanges and disruptions, with BJP’s Kangana Ranaut praising PM Modi, saying, “He doesn’t hack EVMs but hearts,” and lamenting opposition tactics that stalled parliamentary work. As the day ended, the Congress-led Opposition staged a walkout, signaling their rejection of the government’s stance on electoral reforms.
