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ISLAMABAD: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has declared a continued &quot;war&quot; against illegal immigrants, following the removal of 0.24 million names from the state&#39;s voter rolls. In the Indian state of Assam, the&nbsp;Election Commission&#39;s special revision of voter rolls has resulted in&nbsp;a significant reduction in the number of voters, according to an Indian media report. The final list, published on Feb. 8, shows a drop of 0.243 million voters, leaving a total of 24.9 million voters across the state&#39;s 126 assembly constituencies. Over the past months, India&rsquo;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has come under opposition criticism for the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a voters&#39; verification exercise, across multiple states, which it claims has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/deletions-in-draft-electoral-rolls-trigger-fears-of-disenfranchisement-in-india" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">targeted minorities</a>. &nbsp; According to an Indian media report, the revised list in Assam comes after the filing of claims and objections and marks the end of the Special Revision 2026, which falls between the Special Intensive Revision&nbsp;and the Special Summary Revision exercises. As per another Indian media report, on BJP complaints against &ldquo;doubtful voters&rdquo; during Special Revision in the state of Assam, Assam chief minister Sarma said, &quot;The war against illegal Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh will continue. Lakhs of &#39;doubtful voters&#39; have been deleted.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2021486911823675447&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=88e5b5d00d80ee26809a300dd6a9943ea7e521aa&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Sarma has said that the SIR will be conducted in Bihar after the assembly elections to the 126-member House, which are likely to be held in March-April. &lsquo;Call to mass violence and genocide&rsquo;On Feb. 7, in a separate political development, the ruling BJP&#39;s official Assam Pradesh Twitter handle stirred controversy with a video that allegedly glorifies the murder of minorities. The video, which appeared to feature Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, sparked outrage from opposition parties. The Congress condemned the video, calling it a &quot;call to mass violence and genocide,&quot; and accused the BJP regime of promoting hatred for over a decade.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2020400481382850676&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=88e5b5d00d80ee26809a300dd6a9943ea7e521aa&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 720px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Congress demanded strict judicial action against those responsible for spreading social hostility. Outrage and protest&nbsp;Similarly, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) joined the protests, expressing outrage over the video, which shows Sarma firing a gun at the minority Muslim community. The CPI-M staged a protest at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, calling for accountability from both the BJP and the judiciary. Both the Congress and CPI-M emphasized the severity of the situation, demanding immediate action to prevent further incitement to violence and ensure social harmony in the state.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2021191829727699151&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=88e5b5d00d80ee26809a300dd6a9943ea7e521aa&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 600px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>SIR in West Bengal&nbsp;Last month, Nobel laureate economist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/amartya-sen-flags-hurried-bengal-voter-roll-revision-as-unjust-to-democracy" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amartya Sen</a>&nbsp;raised serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, calling the exercise hurried, unjust to voters, and potentially damaging to democratic participation as the state heads toward assembly elections in the coming months. He said that, though he was not an election expert, others had told him the BJP might benefit from undercounting.

India

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says, ‘The war against illegal Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh will continue. Lakhs of 'doubtful voters' have been deleted.’

Assam CM declares 'war' on illegal immigrants; 0.24M names removed from voter rolls

ISLAMABAD: Fears of large-scale voter disenfranchisement have intensified after the Election Commission of India (EC) released draft electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025, showing massive deletions across nine states and three Union Territories, Indian media reported on Wednesday. Preliminary figures indicate that nearly 13% of electors have been removed so far, a number that could translate into close to 110 million voters losing their voting rights if not adequately corrected. The most striking case is Uttar Pradesh, where the draft rolls show 28.9 million fewer voters than the previous list, nearly 18.7% of the state&rsquo;s electorate. Similar patterns have emerged elsewhere: around 5.8 million voters were deleted in West Bengal (7.6%), 2.408 million in Kerala (8%), and 9.73 million in Tamil Nadu. BJP-ruled states have also seen sharp reductions, with about 4.2 million deletions in Madhya Pradesh, 41.85% of voters removed in Rajasthan, and at least 7.3 million deletions in Gujarat as per the draft electoral rolls. The EC maintains that most deletions involve duplicate entries, deceased voters, or those who have permanently shifted or were absent during verification. While a month-long window has been provided for objections and corrections, the final number of deletions is likely to be around two or three per cent less than the currently known figure. &lsquo;Opacity and arbitrariness&rsquo;Opposition parties, however, have raised serious concerns over the transparency and design of the SIR process. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the EC of &ldquo;opacity, arbitrariness and informality,&rdquo; alleging procedural violations and misuse of IT systems. The Congress, DMK and Left parties have echoed similar objections, warning that the exercise is being conducted in a hurried and ad hoc manner. &lsquo;Fundamentally flawed&rsquo;&nbsp;Political scientist Yogendra Yadav has described the 2025 SIR as fundamentally flawed, arguing that it places the entire burden of proving eligibility and even citizenship on voters, unlike the 2002 revision, which relied on trained enumerators and existing records. He has also highlighted disproportionate deletions among women, migrants and residents of net in-migration states. With the EC yet to release detailed data on wrongful exclusions, critics warn that unless corrective measures are taken urgently, the SIR could result in unprecedented mass disenfranchisement, undermining the credibility of India&rsquo;s electoral process. Exclusion of over 6 million namesIndia launched a revision of its voter rolls on Nov. 4, 2025, expanding a contentious exercise that activists warn could fuel disenfranchisement in the world&#39;s largest democracy, according to an AFP report. The three-month voter registration overhaul, the SIR &mdash; kicked off in 12 states and territories, many of which are slated to hold local elections next year. Earlier last year, the ECI conducted a similar revision in the eastern state of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/indian-opposition-criticizes-ruling-bjp-of-voter-purge-driving-bihar-election-victory" style="color:#0073e6;">Bihar</a>, home to more than 130 million people, ahead of its state elections. The process led to the exclusion of around 6.5 million names, which the ECI said was necessary to prevent the inclusion of &quot;foreign illegal immigrants.&quot;

Preliminary figures indicate that nearly 13% of electors have been removed so far, a number that could translate into close to 110 million voters losing their voting rights if not adequately corrected, Indian media reported.

Articles tagged with "Election Commission of India"

Assam CM declares 'war' on illegal immigrants; 0.24M names removed from voter rolls

Deletions in draft electoral rolls trigger fears of disenfranchisement in India