Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, while attending a wedding in Dharmapuri, addressed the contentious issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, urging the Election Commission of India to immediately halt the process.
Stalin described the SIR as an attempt to deprive genuine voters of their democratic rights and called it a grave threat to electoral integrity in Tamil Nadu.
Stalin recounted how Tamil Nadu was the first state to oppose the SIR when it was introduced in Bihar, emphasizing that the state’s proactive stance is crucial to prevent the disenfranchisement of voters in upcoming elections.
Highlighting decisions from a recent all-party meeting, the Chief Minister underscored the demand for election transparency and urged all political parties to stand united against attempts to manipulate voter lists under the guise of special revisions.
In a sharp challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Stalin questioned the Prime Ministerās remarks made in Bihar, asking if he had the courage to speak the same in Tamil Nadu. Stalin accused Modi of inciting violence against Tamil Nadu through divisive rhetoric.
He reaffirmed that the real headline of Tamil Naduās political landscape is the formation of DMKās 2.0 government, underscoring the people’s mandate and the state’s resilience in the face of external political pressures.
In addition to his strong comments opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin highlighted that the Election Commission’s attempt to revise the voter list under SIR is an illegal activity aimed at disenfranchising genuine voters in the state ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Stalin pointed out that Tamil Nadu was the first to raise its voice against the introduction of SIR in Bihar due to the large-scale deletion of eligible voters observed there.
Stalin emphasized that a coalition of 44 political parties in Tamil Nadu, led by the DMK, had resolved to challenge the SIR exercise in the Supreme Court.
The Chief Minister criticized the Election Commission for not abiding by the constitutional procedures and for unclear guidelines on using documents like Aadhaar for voter verification.
He also noted that conducting the voter enumeration during the heavy northeast monsoon season was impractical and would create difficulties for rural voters, many of whom are farmers. These factors further strengthen their call to immediately halt the SIR process until after the elections.