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COVER STORY NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | The Indian Eye 5

Congress leader of lacking the data Brittas accused Shah of “selective
and knowledge needed for a sub- amnesia,” saying opposition parties
stantive discussion. “Rahul Gandhi had already sought a comprehen-
carries no data about anything. But sive discussion on SIR at an all-party
as far as spreading ‘galata’ (mess) is meeting chaired by Defence Minis-
concerned, he is number one,” Patra ter Rajnath Singh. “We are ready.
said. We were ever ready for a discussion
Other BJP leaders accused on SIR,” Brittas said. He urged the
Gandhi of using the SIR controver- government to acknowledge that its
sy to deflect attention from electoral earlier refusal to discuss the issue had
defeats. In Delhi, BJP leaders Sub- been wrong.
rat Pathak, R.P. Singh and Naresh In Uttar Pradesh, Congress state
Bansal backed Shah’s challenge and president Aradhana Mishra accused
criticised the opposition’s street pro- the BJP of diverting attention from
tests. Pathak alleged that the oppo- allegations of voter deletions by tar-
sition wanted to create disorder and geting the opposition. She said the
compared its approach to political BJP’s decision to organise marches in
upheavals in Bangladesh and Nepal. defence of the Election Commission
Singh said Gandhi was raising the is- showed that the Congress-led cam-
sue to divert attention from election paign was having an impact. Mish-
losses. Bansal said the BJP was tak- Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi waves to the gathering during the INDIA bloc’s ‘Vote Bachao, ra cited remarks by Chief Minister
ing its message to the public through Yogi Adityanath expressing concern
marches involving ministers, chief min- Desh Bachao’ Maha Rally, at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday. (ANI Photo/Amit) about the number of voters in Uttar
isters, lawmakers and party workers. Pradesh. She said Adityanath had
In Maharashtra, Chief Minis- and 1 crore duplicate entries. exercise but a question of protect- referred to the deletion of 1.27 crore
ter Devendra Fadnavis made some The opposition has rejected the ing the Constitution, democracy and names and questioned why the BJP
of the strongest allegations against BJP’s claims and accused the gov- voters’ rights. He alleged that the was not addressing those concerns.
Gandhi, accusing him of leading an ernment of using the parliamenta- number of voters in Karnataka had Finance Minister Nirmala Sitha-
effort to undermine the Constitution ry debate offer to avoid answering fallen from about 5.54 crore to 4.55 raman responded that demanding
and bring about “regime change” questions about the Election Com- crore after the revision, a reduction answers also meant being willing to
in India. Speaking at a gathering in mission. In Bengaluru, Karnataka of more than 99 lakh names. listen to the government’s response.
Nagpur, Fadnavis said the political Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Dep- The chief minister called for She accused Gandhi and the Con-
battle should be fought in Parliament uty Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar scrutiny of the deletions and ques- gress of walking out of parliamentary
as long as the Constitution drafted by and leaders of several INDIA bloc tioned the process through which debates. Gandhi had also conducted
B.R. Ambedkar remained in force. parties joined a protest at Freedom the chief election commissioner was a social media poll asking young In-
He added that the ruling alliance was Park. The demonstrators demanded appointed. He alleged that changes dians whether they wanted an open
also prepared to mobilise supporters that the SIR exercise be scrapped to the selection committee had in- debate with Modi and had tagged se-
on the streets. and Kumar resign. creased the government’s influence nior BJP leaders, urging them to per-
“Under Rahul Gandhi’s leader- The protest was organised by the over the appointment. suade the prime minister to accept
ship, they are talking about regime Congress, Communist Party of India Shivakumar said voters whose the challenge.
change,” Fadnavis said. He alleged (Marxist), Communist Party of India, names had been removed, except Meanwhile, the Cockroach Jan-
that the opposition wanted to replace CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc those who were deceased, should re- ta Party announced a protest against
constitutional institutions with an and Samajwadi Party, along with so- ceive justice. “Until justice is served, SIR in Kochi on Nov. 7, its first major
“extreme Left-wing system” similar cial organisations and student and we will continue to fight,” he said. demonstration since party activists
to developments in Nepal and Ban- youth groups. Actor Prakash Raj also The BJP’s offer of a parliamen- were detained in Delhi last month
gladesh. attended. tary debate also drew criticism from while attempting to protest at Jantar
Fadnavis also rejected allega- Siddaramaiah said the revision opposition lawmakers. Communist Mantar.
tions of voter suppression, saying the was not merely an administrative Party of India (Marxist) MP John The party said the demonstra-
removal of deceased voters’ names tion, titled “Jantar Mantar at Kochi,”
was justified. He accused the opposi- would be held under the slogan “Save
tion of seeking to protect illegal im- Democracy! Cancel SIR!” Two activ-
migrants and allowing them to vote, ists, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ran-
allegations that the Congress has dis- ka, appeared before the Delhi Crime
puted. Branch on Thursday after being sum-
Union Minister of State for moned in connection with the Oct.
Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, speak- 13 incident. Ranka said the activists
ing in Surat, Gujarat, accused Gand- were cooperating with the investiga-
hi of creating an atmosphere of anar- tion while maintaining that peaceful
chy and using the SIR controversy to demonstrations should be allowed.
protect foreign infiltrators. Rai said The BJP and opposition par-
the Congress had suffered numer- ties are now taking their competing
ous election defeats since 2014 and claims to the streets as well as to Par-
was using the revision to conceal its liament. Both sides accuse the other
political setbacks. He claimed the ex- of weakening democratic institutions,
ercise had removed 13 crore names, leaving the electoral roll revision at
including 6.3 crore people who had INDIA bloc party supporters and others participate in the INDIA bloc’s ‘Vote Bachao, Desh the centre of an increasingly person-
permanently relocated, 3 crore who Bachao’ Maha Rally at Ramlila Maidan, in New Delhi on Sunday. (AICC/ANI Photo) al confrontation between the ruling
were absent, 2.8 crore who had died party and Gandhi.

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