Guwahati, Oct 14 — Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah on Wednesday called for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls every five years, asserting that the exercise is essential to ensure that no foreign national's name remains on the state's voter list.
“Everyone wants an SIR in Assam. Not a single foreigner's name should remain on Assam's voter list,” Baruah said, amid the continuing political debate over electoral roll verification, citizenship and illegal immigration in the state.
Referring to Assam's six-year-long anti-foreigners agitation between 1979 and 1985, the minister said the state had particular reasons to ensure that electoral rolls were scrutinised regularly.
The agitation, which culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985, centred on demands to identify illegal immigrants and address concerns over their inclusion in electoral rolls.
Baruah's remarks come against the backdrop of continuing political differences over voter eligibility and the identification of illegal immigrants in Assam.
The minister also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition over their allegations concerning electronic voting machines (EVMs) and demands for a return to ballot paper voting.
Accusing the Congress of questioning the electoral process after losing elections, Baruah alleged that the party frequently blamed EVMs or raised other concerns instead of accepting the verdict.
“Congress never stands with the public, which is why they keep losing. And after losing, they blame EVMs, sometimes ballot papers, or make other excuses,” he said.
The Congress and other Opposition parties have raised concerns over electoral transparency and the functioning of EVMs, making the issue a point of contention between the ruling party and the Opposition.
Speaking about the Jan Jagaran Samdal rally in Nalbari on Tuesday, Baruah claimed that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Assam were receiving increasing support from women and young people. Organisers claimed that more than 30,000 people attended the rally, although the figure has not been independently verified.
The minister also criticised groups opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), alleging that their position ran counter to the country's interests.
His demand for a five-year SIR cycle is expected to add another dimension to Assam's debate over citizenship, voter eligibility and illegal immigration. Any decision on the frequency and implementation of such revisions rests with the competent electoral authorities under the applicable legal framework.