Priyanka Gandhi calls SIR electoral roll row 'treachery against nation', demands probe
Synopsis
Priyanka Gandhi has escalated Congress's attack on the Election Commission from 'bias' to 'treason' — calling the SIR electoral roll row an 'act of treason against the nation' and demanding an investigation. The remarks come after a newspaper report claimed Election Commissioners raised internal objections 14 times in 10 months, a claim the ECI has formally denied.
Key Takeaways
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on 23 September called the SIR electoral roll row 'treachery against the nation' and an 'act of treason' if Election Commissioners knowingly allowed irregularities.
She cited a newspaper report claiming two Election Commissioners raised objections on record on 14 occasions over 10 months regarding Commission decisions.
The Election Commission of India rejected the report, stating no formal dissent was recorded — only observations were made, which were duly examined.
Rahul Gandhi has been raising concerns over alleged voter list manipulation in states including Maharashtra and Haryana .
Senior Congress leader P.
Chidambaram demanded immediate suspension of the SIR process and a Parliamentary Committee review of recent ECI decisions.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday, 23 September described the ongoing controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as 'extremely serious' for democracy, warning that if the Election Commission of India (ECI) was complicit in any rigging, it would amount to 'treachery against the nation.' The remarks were made in Nilambur, Kerala, where she spoke to reporters on the sidelines of her visit.
What Priyanka Gandhi Said
'If the Election Commissioners were aware of that and were allowing it to happen, then it is a very, very serious assault on democracy. Actually, it is treachery against the nation. It is an act of treason, and whoever is doing it should be properly investigated,' Priyanka Gandhi said in a sharp escalation of the Congress's attack on the poll body.
The Wayanad MP questioned the very meaning of democracy if elections were manipulated. 'If there are no elections, then where is the democracy? If the elections are unfair and they are being rigged in any manner, and the Election Commission is assisting in that,' she said, adding that India, as the world's largest democracy, 'can't afford to go lightly on these issues.'
Rahul Gandhi's Sustained Campaign
Priyanka Gandhi pointed to her brother, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, as having repeatedly flagged alleged bias in the electoral process. 'As you know, my brother Rahul Gandhi has been continuously taking up this issue about the bias and injustice going on,' she said.
She also alleged that Election Commissioners themselves had raised certain issues directly with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, though she did not specify the nature of those internal communications.
The Report at the Centre of the Row
The latest flare-up follows an investigative report published by a leading daily, which claimed that on 14 occasions over a period of 10 months, two Election Commissioners had objected on record to steps taken by the Commission. According to the report, the objections covered a range of decisions — including allegations that the Commissioners were kept in the dark about certain matters and issues concerning the addition of new voters and deletion of names from electoral rolls.
Priyanka Gandhi referenced media reports of alleged deletion and manipulation of voter lists in several states, including Maharashtra and Haryana. 'If what is coming in the media is actually a fact... then those responsible have to be taken to task,' she said.
ECI Rejects the Allegations
The Election Commission of India earlier on Wednesday firmly rejected the newspaper report. People with direct knowledge of the matter said that no Election Commissioner had recorded any formal dissent on decisions taken by the poll body, and that the two Commissioners had only made certain observations, which were subsequently examined by the Commission.
Congress Demands Suspension and Review
Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram also weighed in on Wednesday, demanding that all decisions taken by the poll body in recent years be reviewed by a Parliamentary Committee. He further called for the immediate suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which is currently underway across several parts of the country.
With the Congress escalating its language — from 'bias' to 'treason' — and the ECI pushing back directly, the standoff over electoral rolls is set to intensify as the political temperature heading into future state elections continues to rise.
Point of View
Designed to frame the electoral roll controversy not as an administrative dispute but as a constitutional crisis. The 14-objections report, if verified, would be a significant institutional disclosure; but the ECI's flat denial leaves a credibility gap that neither side has yet bridged with documentary evidence. Notably, this controversy lands when voter list revisions are ongoing, giving it immediate electoral stakes. The demand for a Parliamentary Committee review is the harder ask — and the one that will test whether this remains campaign rhetoric or becomes a genuine accountability moment for India's premier electoral institution.
NationPress
23 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls controversy?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an ongoing process of updating India's electoral rolls — adding new voters and removing deleted names. The controversy centres on allegations, raised by the Congress and amplified by a newspaper investigation, that this process has been used to manipulate voter lists in states including Maharashtra and Haryana. The Election Commission of India has denied any wrongdoing.
What did the newspaper report claim about the Election Commissioners?
A leading daily reported that on 14 occasions over 10 months, two Election Commissioners had objected on record to decisions taken by the Commission, including being allegedly kept in the dark about certain matters. The ECI rejected this, saying no formal dissent was recorded and that the Commissioners had only made observations, which were duly examined.
Why did Priyanka Gandhi call it 'treachery against the nation'?
Priyanka Gandhi argued that if Election Commissioners were aware of irregularities and were allowing them to continue, it would constitute a fundamental assault on democracy — going beyond bias into what she termed 'treason'. She stressed that India, as the world's largest democracy, cannot afford to treat free and fair elections lightly.
What has the Congress demanded over the electoral roll controversy?
Congress leaders have made two main demands: senior leader P. Chidambaram has called for an immediate suspension of the ongoing SIR process and a Parliamentary Committee review of all recent ECI decisions. Priyanka Gandhi has demanded a full investigation into those allegedly responsible for manipulating voter lists.
How has the Election Commission of India responded to these allegations?
The ECI on 23 September firmly rejected the newspaper report claiming that two Election Commissioners had raised formal objections 14 times. People with direct knowledge of the matter stated that no dissent was formally recorded, and that any observations made by the Commissioners were subsequently examined by the Commission through its established processes.
