Coimbatore, Nov 11 (NationPress) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday raised questions regarding the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)'s protests against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, asking why the party chose to remain silent when the revision was neglected for almost two decades.

Speaking to reporters in Muthalipalayam, Coimbatore, following a series of public engagements, Sitharaman emphasized that the SIR is a constitutional mandate established by the Election Commission of India (ECI) under Articles 324 and 329.

“It is astonishing that the DMK is staging protests across Tamil Nadu as if the BJP has introduced the SIR for the first time. This is a regular and essential practice that has been conducted several times since 1952,” she stated.

Sitharaman highlighted that voter list revisions took place in 1952-56, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1983-84, 1987-89, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003, and 2005. She pointed out that the DMK was previously aligned with the Congress during many of these revisions and did not raise any objections.

“What is the reason for their protests now? Even Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin seem uninformed about the actual implications of SIR,” she noted. The Finance Minister accused the ruling party of misleading the public and undermining the integrity of constitutional institutions.

“The role of the Election Commission is to ensure an accurate and fair voter list. The DMK's opposition appears to be a tactic to divert attention from its administrative shortcomings,” she added, assuring that no citizen would lose their voting rights as door-to-door verification by Polling Level Officers (PLOs) is already in progress.

Addressing the irregularities found during the ongoing revision, Sitharaman revealed that in the Kolathur constituency, represented by Stalin, a staggering 4,379 fake voters were identified, including 933 with fictitious addresses, numerous individuals possessing multiple voter ID cards, and as many as 30 cards linked to a single address. In total, 5,964 fraudulent entries have been discovered during the verification process.

“Statewide, there are seven lakh individuals listed in two locations, 20 lakh are fake voters, and 35 lakh have migrated. Is it unreasonable to eliminate such 68 lakh names?” she questioned.

Rejecting the notion that the SIR is part of a conspiracy, Sitharaman remarked, “No one opposed it during the Congress-DMK era. The DMK protests now only serve to politicize a legitimate process.” She also reaffirmed that actions taken by the Income Tax Department are based on substantial evidence, with “not a single case proven false so far.”

Reiterating that the BJP does not meddle in the internal matters of any party, Sitharaman urged the DMK to avoid “diminishing the authority of the Election Commission” and to facilitate the smooth operation of the democratic process.