Dr Kota Neelima, Vice President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), on 3 November 2026 accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of launching a campaign in Hyderabad to deflect scrutiny from alleged discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, rather than address legitimate objections raised by citizens and opposition parties. Neelima alleged the BJP's approach brands dissenters as anti-national to intimidate them into silence.

The Campaign in Question

Neelima's remarks came in response to the 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy' campaign launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Hyderabad on Monday. She argued that the campaign targets citizens who have raised evidence-based concerns about the SIR process rather than engaging with those concerns substantively.

'In its typical arrogant style, the BJP is trying to brand anyone who questions the SIR as anti-national. This is a deliberate attempt to intimidate citizens, political parties and leaders who have raised legitimate, evidence-based objections to the SIR process,' she said in a statement.

The Opposition's 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' Rally

Neelima, who participated in the 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, 1 November, said the scale of the turnout had alarmed the ruling party. She described Shah's subsequent padyatra in Hyderabad as a reactive move to shift the narrative.

'Lakhs of people came to Delhi's Ramlila Maidan for this historic rally, and it has deeply worried the BJP. In response, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has staged a small padyatra in Hyderabad to blame the citizens of this country for fighting for their right to vote,' she said.

United Opposition Stance on Electoral Rolls

The rally on 1 November in Delhi was led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, who shared the stage with INDIA bloc leaders from more than 20 opposition parties. These included the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) (NCP-SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), and Left formations.

The united opposition alleged that the SIR process has led to the deletion of over 13 crore voters — nearly 14% of the country's electorate — calling it a direct attack on democratic rights and citizens' right to vote.

What the SIR Controversy Is About

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has drawn sustained criticism from opposition parties who claim that the process, as conducted, has resulted in the large-scale removal of voter names without adequate verification or notice. The BJP and election authorities have not yet formally responded to the specific numerical claims cited by opposition leaders. Notably, this dispute comes amid heightened political tensions ahead of upcoming electoral cycles, making the integrity of voter rolls a flashpoint issue with consequences beyond any single state.

What Comes Next

With over 20 opposition parties now aligned on the issue, pressure is likely to mount on the Election Commission of India to provide a transparent accounting of deletions under the SIR. The BJP is expected to continue its counter-campaign in key states, while Congress is likely to escalate its outreach at the grassroots level. The credibility of the electoral roll revision process now sits at the centre of a national political debate.