SIR is a veiled attempt to implement NRC through the backdoor: Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has come down heavily on the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala and several other states, describing it as a grave assault on the foundations of Indian democracy.

In a strong statement issued on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said the move was an attempt to distort the voter lists in a politically motivated manner. He pointed out that the Commission’s plan to base the SIR on the electoral rolls of 2002–2004, instead of the current list, is in clear violation of the Representation of the People Act (1950) and the Registration of Electors Rules (1960), which mandate revisions to be carried out using the existing rolls.

Pinarayi Vijayan noted that even the State Chief Electoral Officer had categorically informed the ECI that such a revision was impractical at a time when local body elections were approaching. Yet, the Commission’s insistence on proceeding with the SIR “despite these clear warnings” raises serious doubts about its intentions, he said.

Quoting the 2024 National Voters’ Day message, “Nothing is like voting; I will surely vote,” the Chief Minister said it was deeply ironic that the very authorities who promoted that slogan were the ones responsible for deleting 65 lakh names from Bihar’s voters’ list. “What happened in Bihar, and what is now being extended through this SIR process, is a blatant violation of Article 326 of the Constitution, which guarantees universal adult suffrage,” he said.

Calling the move “an open attempt to rob citizens of their fundamental right to vote”, the Chief Minister warned that the SIR is nothing but “a backdoor effort to push forward the agenda of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) under a different name.” He said the growing suspicion that the process is intended to politically manipulate the voter base “cannot be dismissed or ignored.”

“It is deeply concerning that while the constitutional validity of the SIR in Bihar is still under the consideration of the Supreme Court, the same process is being expanded to other states,” Pinarayi Vijayan said. He added that conducting such a massive exercise in haste, without proper preparation or consultation, exposes the real motive, “to subvert the people’s mandate and undermine the democratic process.”

The Chief Minister asserted that such actions seriously damage the credibility of the Election Commission itself. “Institutions like the Election Commission should never become puppets in the hands of those in power at the Centre,” he said.

Recalling that the Kerala Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution opposing the SIR, Pinarayi Vijayan urged all democratic forces to unite and resist this dangerous attempt to weaken the electoral system. “Everyone who values democracy must stand together to protect it from such assaults,” he said.