"Through SIR, they are snatching votes; next step is taking away citizenship": Congress MP Digvijaya Singh

Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], November 23 (ANI): Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh on Sunday levelled serious allegations against the ruling BJP-led government, claiming that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by the Election Commission of Inidia is a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters and warned that the "next step" would be stripping citizenship of targeted citizens.
Speaking to reporters in Indore, the Congress veteran accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of shielding the Election Commission by getting retired judges, IAS, and IPS officers to sign an open letter in its defence.
He further alleged that the retired judges and bureaucrats were linked with the BJP and the RSS, and money was also recovered from their homes.
"Through SIR, these people are snatching their votes, and the next step will be taking away their citizenship. Then they will make their own list, and then how will democracy survive?" Singh said.
"Narendra Modi, in order to save the Election Commission, has assembled a number of retired judges, IAS, IPS and signed the open letter. These people who are members of the BJP, linked with RSS and crores of money were found in their homes are taking the side of the Election Commission. The Election Commission is doing fraud," he added.
The Rajya Sabha MP was referring to an open letter written by over 272 eminent citizens, including 16 Judges, 123 retired bureaucrats, 14 Ambassadors, 133 retired armed forces officers, condemning the repeated "assault on national constitutional authorities" by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his "Vote Chori" allegations.
He also called for PM Modi to distance himself from such practices and urged him to save the country's democracy and constitutional values.
"Modi ji, please stay away from these kinds of things. It's time to save the country's democracy, to save the country's constitution," he stated.
Currently, a nationwide SIR is underway in 12 states and union territories, including West Bengal, with the final elector's list to be published on February 7, 2026.
These states and UTs include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
According to the Election Commission, printing and training took place from October 28 to November 3, followed by an Enumeration Phase from November 4 to December 4.
The draft electoral rolls will be published on December 9, followed by a claims and objections period from December 9 to January 8, 2026. The Notice Phase (for hearing and verification) will take place between December 9 and January 31, 2026, with publication of Final Electoral Rolls on February 7, 2026.
The opposition has strongly opposed the SIR process, alleging that it is aimed at striking the names of voters from underprivileged communities off the voter lists.
Digvijaya Singh also claimed that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are under immense pressure from the BJP, leading to suicides in some cases and alleged that pre-fed lists of voters whose names are to be deleted have already been loaded into computers.
"The BJP is putting pressure on them, and due to this, they have died by suicide. One in Bengal wrote about it in their suicide note. They have a list of voters whose names have to be deleted that has already been fed into the computers," he claimed.
His remarks come after a BLO in Kerala's Kannur died by suicide, followed by a similar incident in West Bengal.
Aneesh George, BLO appointed in Payyannur assembly constituency of Kannur district, allegedly died by suicide due to "work-related stress" amid the ongoing SIR drive being carried out by the ECI.
Meanwhile, in West Bengal, BLO Shanti Muni Ekka allegedly took her own life due to unbearable pressure from the SIR of electoral rolls work. (ANI)