BJP on Opp SIR letter to CJI: Congress leaders don't take own stand seriously
Synopsis
The BJP has turned the Opposition's letter to the CJI on the ECI's Special Intensive Revision into a credibility problem for the Congress — by pointing out that Karnataka CM D. K. Shivakumar personally participated in the very process his party is opposing nationally. With 23 parties now on the letter, the contradiction at the top of the Congress could blunt the coalition's legal push.
Key Takeaways
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said Congress leaders 'don't take the party's stand seriously' on the SIR process.
Shivakumar personally filled out an Enumeration Form to launch the state's SIR drive, undercutting the Opposition's national stance.
A joint letter signed by 23 political parties and one Independent MP has been sent to CJI Justice Surya Kant over the ECI's SIR process.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate called the SIR a 'systematic and sustained attempt to disenfranchise people.' BJP MP Sujeet Kumar labelled the Opposition move a 'crybaby approach,' saying no specific irregularities had been cited.
Tamil Nadu Congress chief Manickam Tagore alleged the BJP was using CBI , ED , and IT departments to destabilise Opposition parties.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, 30 June fired back at the Opposition over its joint letter to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant on the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, pointing to Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar personally participating in the SIR process as evidence that Congress leaders do not take their own party's stated positions seriously.
The BJP's Counter-Attack
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the Opposition letter lacked credibility because Chief Minister Shivakumar had himself filled out an Enumeration Form to kick off Karnataka's SIR drive, effectively acting as a brand ambassador for the very process his party was opposing at the national level. 'Today it has been proven that even Congress people do not take the party's statements seriously. What Jairam Ramesh is saying, even D. K. Shivakumar isn't taking seriously,' Bhandari said.
Bhandari further claimed that the Congress routinely reaches for institutional alibis — citing SIR, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and other processes — whenever it faces electoral setbacks. 'Every season, Rahul Gandhi or the Congress will come with one or the other alibi to protect the family's repeated electoral failures,' he alleged.
BJP MP Sujeet Kumar described the Opposition's move as a 'crybaby approach,' arguing that the parties had failed to specify any concrete irregularities. He noted that SIR is not a new exercise and that revising electoral rolls periodically is a constitutional mandate of the ECI.
What the Opposition Said
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had earlier announced that a joint letter — now signed by 23 political parties and one Independent MP — had been dispatched to the CJI raising concerns about the manner in which the SIR is being conducted and other election-related issues.
Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate characterised the SIR process as a 'systematic and sustained attempt to disenfranchise people,' calling it the 'biggest attack on the right to vote guaranteed by the Constitution of India.' She urged the CJI and the courts to take cognisance of the matter.
INDIA Bloc's Broader Allegations
Tamil Nadu Congress chief Manickam Tagore used the occasion to broaden the attack, alleging that the BJP was deploying central agencies — the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Income Tax department — to destabilise Opposition parties, including the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena (UBT), through what he termed 'horse trading.' Tagore asserted that the INDIA bloc remained 'very strong' despite these pressures.
Context and What Comes Next
The SIR controversy sits within a longer-running dispute between the ruling BJP and the Opposition INDIA bloc over the integrity of electoral processes. The ECI has defended the SIR as a routine exercise to ensure accurate voter rolls ahead of upcoming elections. Whether the CJI takes up the letter for judicial consideration will be closely watched in the coming days.
Point of View
The judicial response will matter far more than the day's political sparring.
NationPress
30 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SIR process that the Opposition has written to the CJI about?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to update and clean up electoral rolls. The Opposition INDIA bloc, in a letter signed by 23 political parties and one Independent MP, has alleged that the current SIR is being conducted in a manner that amounts to a 'systematic attempt to disenfranchise people,' and has asked the CJI to take cognisance.
Why did the BJP say Congress leaders don't take their own party's stand seriously?
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari pointed out that Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar personally participated in the state's SIR by filling out an Enumeration Form — effectively endorsing the process — while the Congress nationally was opposing it and writing to the CJI against it. The BJP argued this contradiction exposed the party's position as politically motivated.
What did Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate say about the SIR?
Supriya Shrinate called the SIR a 'systematic and sustained attempt to disenfranchise people' and described it as the 'biggest attack on the right to vote guaranteed by the Constitution of India.' She urged the CJI and the courts to take cognisance and act on the matter.
Who are the key figures involved in this political dispute?
Key figures include BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari and BJP MP Sujeet Kumar on one side, and Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Supriya Shrinate, and Tamil Nadu Congress chief Manickam Tagore on the other. Karnataka CM D. K. Shivakumar, a senior Congress leader, is central to the BJP's counter-argument.
What broader allegations did the INDIA bloc make?
Tamil Nadu Congress chief Manickam Tagore alleged that the BJP was using the CBI, ED, and Income Tax department to destabilise Opposition parties through 'horse trading,' citing the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) as examples. He maintained that the INDIA bloc remained 'very strong' despite these pressures.
