Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President and Rajya Sabha MP Madan Rathore on 29 October mounted a strong defence of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, asserting that the exercise has historical precedent and was carried out 10 times during Congress-led governments. Rathore's remarks came in Jaipur as the Opposition intensified its protests over alleged irregularities in the ongoing SIR process.

BJP's Counter on SIR History

Rathore argued that the Congress party's current objections were contradictory, given that the same party oversaw multiple rounds of SIR when it was in power. He claimed the Opposition was now attempting to portray a routine electoral exercise as a threat to democracy. He further alleged that Congress was spreading misinformation to create confusion among voters, describing the party's political approach as reflecting what he called an Emergency-era mindset.

He also accused the Congress of relying on what he termed 'foreign toolkits' to advance its political agenda, arguing that such tactics served neither the people nor democratic values.

Rathore's Response to Gehlot on Indira Gandhi

Reacting to former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's recent remarks linking the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with democracy, Rathore accused Gehlot of making misleading statements to appease the Congress leadership. He said that before raising slogans at its 'Bharat Bachao' rally, the Congress should recall the Emergency that Indira Gandhi imposed, during which newspapers were censored, citizens' rights were suspended, and several political leaders were imprisoned.

BJP's 'Loktantra Bachao' Campaign

Rathore stated that the BJP's 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, End Anarchy) campaign was designed to raise public awareness about what he described as the Congress' contradictory stance on democratic values. The campaign, he said, was a direct response to what the BJP characterises as the Opposition's attempts to delegitimise a standard electoral administration process.

Breakdown of the 13 Crore Voter Figure

Rathore also took direct aim at the Congress' allegation that approximately 13 crore voters had been removed from electoral rolls during the SIR exercise. Providing what he described as a breakdown of the figures, he alleged that 2.8 crore voters had died, 6.3 crore voters had shifted their residences, 1 crore voters were registered at more than one location, and 3 crore voters could not be traced.

Critically, Rathore maintained that voters who could not be traced had only been flagged for verification and had not been automatically removed from the rolls. He questioned whether the Congress wanted votes belonging to deceased or relocated individuals to remain available for potential misuse.

What Happens Next

The political battle over SIR is likely to intensify as both parties prepare competing public campaigns ahead of future electoral cycles. The Opposition's concerns around the accuracy and transparency of the revision process remain unaddressed by the Election Commission in this context, and the dispute signals a broader contest over the credibility of India's voter rolls.