Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 3 (ANI): The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Union government over alleged large-scale exclusions from electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, claiming it could lead to the creation of a “permanent class of excluded Indians.”
In a post shared on X, Owaisi wrote, “The Union Government first carried out a document-driven SIR that deleted nearly 6.5 crore names from electoral rolls across 13 States and UTs. Now it wants a committee to study those very exclusions and build a permanent system for the identification, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants.”
https://x.com/asadowaisi/status/2062036709077029134
He further warned that the process could have long-term implications for voting rights, stating, “SIR will be used to create a permanent class of excluded Indians. The right to vote is the poor’s only weapon against the powerful. Without it, the government will do what it pleases with them.”
Owaisi also claimed that there were already reports of individuals being denied welfare benefits following exclusion from the rolls. “We are already seeing reports of people being denied the benefits of government schemes,” Owaisi said.
Clarifying the legal position, the AIMIM leader noted that deletion from electoral rolls does not determine citizenship status. “Under the law, a deletion under SIR does not mean that a person is not a citizen,” he said, adding that “twenty-seven lakh people are still under adjudication, and many may apply afresh for enrolment as voters through Form 6.”
Owaisi further alleged that the Election Commission had not provided clarity on the nature of exclusions. “The ECI itself has provided no data on the number of people it excluded because they were foreigners,” Owaisi said, claiming that “most of those excluded by SIR are Muslims, women, the poor, and migrants.”
Questioning the rationale behind the proposed committee, he pointed to government demographic data. “The government’s own data show that our demography and population have stabilised and that our TFR is 2.0. Why do we need this committee, then?” he asked.
“So that there can be constant paranoia and fear directed against Muslims,” Owaisi added.
Targeting the Centre over controversies surrounding NEET-UG 2026 and the CBSE OSM system, Owaisi said, “This government loves making Indians waste their time on documentation. Sometimes it is KYC or SIR; sometimes it is uploading some document to some portal. But it cannot conduct a simple exam properly.”
“Common people are scrutinised by the government, but the government cannot be scrutinised by us,” he added.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on May 14 announced the conduct of SIR Phase-III of electoral rolls across 16 States and three Union Territories, covering over 36 crore electors in a phased manner, including Telagana.
According to the press note issued by the Commission, the exercise has been planned in coordination with the ongoing house listing component of the Census to ensure optimal use of field machinery.
The SIR schedule has been outlined for multiple States and Union Territories with clearly defined timelines for each stage of the electoral roll process.
For Telangana and Punjab, the qualifying date is October 1, 2026. The preparation phase will be conducted from June 15, 2026, to June 24, 2026, followed by BLO visits from June 25, 2026, to July 24, 2026. Rationalisation will be completed by July 24, 2026. The draft roll will be published on July 31, 2026, with claims and objections open from July 31, 2026, to August 30, 2026. The notice phase and disposal will continue from July 31, 2026, to September 28, 2026, and the final roll will be published on October 1, 2026. (ANI)
Related reading
