BJP chief Nitin Nabin accuses Opposition of spreading lies on SIR process
Synopsis
BJP national president Nitin Nabin has gone on the offensive over the SIR electoral rolls row, accusing Congress of building its narrative around a 'manufactured lie' even after the Election Commission confirmed the process was decided unanimously — and demanding a public apology from those undermining constitutional institutions.
Key Takeaways
BJP national president Nitin Nabin accused the Opposition on Saturday of deliberately misleading the public on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Nabin cited the Election Commission of India's clarification that every SIR-related decision was taken unanimously by the full Commission.
He alleged Congress built its narrative around a 'manufactured lie' and attacked constitutional bodies despite this clarification.
Nabin pointed to Opposition double standards — accepting electoral results in Kerala and Tamil Nadu while questioning the same institutions when verdicts went against them.
He demanded that those who repeatedly undermine India's democratic framework for political survival offer the nation a public apology .
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Nitin Nabin on Saturday accused the Opposition — particularly the Indian National Congress — of deliberately misleading the public over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and mounting attacks on constitutional institutions. The remarks came in a detailed post on X, and have drawn significant attention across political circles.
What Nabin Said
In his post, Nabin alleged that the Opposition had once again been exposed for spreading falsehoods about the SIR process. He specifically pointed to a clarification issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), which stated that every decision relating to the SIR was taken unanimously by the full Commission. Despite this official position, Nabin alleged, 'the Congress chose to build its entire narrative around a manufactured lie and launched attacks on the country's constitutional bodies.'
The Double Standards Charge
Nabin also highlighted what he described as a glaring inconsistency in the Opposition's stance. He noted that when the same electoral process delivered victories to Congress and its allies in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the credibility of those elections was readily accepted. 'But when the people's mandate goes against them elsewhere, they question the very institutions that conduct those elections. Democracy cannot be respected selectively,' he said.
Nabin's Broader Warning
The BJP president acknowledged that wins and losses are an inherent part of democratic politics, but argued that using malicious propaganda to discredit respected institutions was 'deeply unfortunate and unacceptable.' He went further, asserting that those who repeatedly undermined India's democratic framework for political survival owed the nation 'an honest reckoning and a public apology.'
Background: The SIR Controversy
The ECI's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has emerged as a flashpoint in national politics. Opposition parties, with Congress at the forefront, have raised pointed questions about the process, its transparency, and its implications for voter rolls. The BJP, in turn, has consistently defended the poll body's independence. Nabin's statement represents the ruling party's sharpest rebuttal yet to those allegations, and is widely seen as an effort to shift the narrative back to the ECI's own clarifications on unanimity of decision-making.
With electoral politics intensifying ahead of upcoming state and national contests, the SIR row is unlikely to fade quickly — and both sides appear set to press their respective positions in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
The BJP forces the Opposition to either dispute the poll body directly or retreat. The double-standards charge — Kerala and Tamil Nadu results accepted, others contested — is the kind of rhetorical jab that plays well with the BJP base and puts Congress in a defensive posture. What mainstream coverage tends to underplay, however, is that the SIR process itself remains under legitimate scrutiny; demanding an apology does not resolve the procedural questions critics have raised. The real test of institutional trust is transparency in the revision process, not party spokespersons vouching for each other.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India to update and cleanse voter rolls, adding eligible new voters and removing ineligible entries. It has become politically contentious, with Opposition parties raising questions about its process and implications for voter registration.
What did Nitin Nabin say about the Opposition's stance on SIR?
BJP national president Nitin Nabin alleged that the Opposition, particularly Congress, deliberately spread falsehoods about the SIR despite the ECI's clarification that all decisions were taken unanimously by the full Commission. He called Congress's narrative a 'manufactured lie' and demanded a public apology.
What double-standards charge did Nabin level at the Opposition?
Nabin argued that the Opposition accepted the credibility of the same electoral process when it delivered victories in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, but questioned institutions only when results went against them. He said democracy 'cannot be respected selectively.'
What has the Election Commission said about the SIR process?
According to Nabin's post and reports, the ECI has stated that every decision relating to the SIR was taken unanimously by the full Commission. The poll body has maintained its position on the independence and transparency of the exercise.
Why does the SIR controversy matter politically?
The SIR row has become a flashpoint in national politics at a time when electoral stakes are high. The dispute reflects a broader tension over institutional trust, with the BJP defending the ECI's independence and the Opposition pressing for greater scrutiny of the voter roll revision process.
