New Delhi, Oct 28 (NationPress) As the Election Commission of India (ECI) initiated the second phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists across 12 States and Union Territories, including election-bound Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, and Puducherry, opposition parties like Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have accused the government of using the ECI as a tool to alter the Constitution through indirect means.

In a conversation with IANS, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari expressed, “What was their slogan inside and outside Parliament, and in public rallies? ‘Abki Baar 400 Paar.’ Their agenda was unmistakable — to modify the Constitution and strip minorities, backward classes, and Scheduled Castes of their voting rights. After failing to achieve this openly, they have resorted to manipulating the ECI through methods like the NRC. This is why the ECI could not specify which caste or religion the names withdrawn from the voter list represented.”

Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput raised concerns about the integrity of the process, stating, “The announcement of SIR should be conducted transparently and legally. In Bihar, where it was first implemented, numerous questions remain unresolved. The Election Commission ought to clarify how many new voters have been registered, how many infiltrators’ votes have been blocked, and respond to the inquiries made by political parties about these infiltrators. How many names were removed? The public deserves clear answers.”

Congress spokesperson Abhay Dubey voiced similar apprehensions, claiming that the BJP is exploiting the Election Commission for its own political advantage.

“The Modi government and the BJP adopted the slogan ‘400 plus’ to undermine the Constitution crafted by B.R. Ambedkar. The citizens of India thwarted their plans once, but they are now attempting to realize their objectives via the Election Commission. While the ECI claims that the SIR in Bihar was a success, all residents of Bihar are aware of the unlawful deletions of voter names,” he added.

RJD leader and Mahagathbandhan's CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav remarked, “This operation was predetermined. They had already announced their intention, and now they are moving forward with it. It’s not unexpected.”

Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, also commented, “The BJP can employ all sorts of tactics — erase names, intimidate, or harass individuals. However, when the populace turns against you, no SIR or FIR can rescue you.”

JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey emphasized, “India must not surrender its rights, especially fundamental rights like voting. This seems to be precisely what the BJP government is attempting. It is the responsibility of every citizen and political party to protect these democratic rights.”

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad stated, “Every voter should remain on the voter list. No one should be deprived of the right to vote — the most invaluable right granted to us by B.R. Ambedkar. Nothing holds more significance.”