Coalition Sounds Alarm Over Voter Roll “Cleansing,” Warns of Disenfranchisement Threat in Karnataka
Bengaluru, December 8, 2025 – A broad coalition of civil society groups in Karnataka has launched a concerted campaign against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, labelling it a unconstitutional exercise that threatens to strip millions, particularly from marginalised communities, of their fundamental right to vote. The campaign warns that the process effectively functions as a “backdoor National Register of Citizens (NRC),” risking widespread political and economic disenfranchisement.
The “My Vote My Right” campaign, comprising over a dozen labour, women’s, civil liberties, and minority rights organisations, convened a state-level workshop on Sunday to strategise opposition to the SIR. The event culminated in a formal resolution demanding the immediate withdrawal of the SIR process and its replacement with a transparent, inclusive revision of voter lists.
A Process Mired in Controversy and Fear
The workshop began with the release of an explanatory booklet titled “Say No to SIR,” detailing legal and practical objections to the exercise. Activists and legal experts presented a grim picture of its on-ground implementation, alleging systemic biases and procedural violations designed to exclude vulnerable voters.
Legal scholar Clifton D’Rozario, General Secretary of the All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ), argued that the SIR fundamentally undermines the constitutional promise of universal adult suffrage. “Dr. Ambedkar said that voting was essential to citizenship and to equal moral membership of the polity,” D’Rozario stated. “The SIR is calculated to undermine this most fundamental of rights. This is not revision but a disenfranchisement exercise which affects the marginalised communities the most.”
Echoing the legal critique, activist Vinay Sreenivasa described the SIR as a de facto NRC, shifting the burden of proof onto ordinary citizens. “The default assumption is one of doubt, compelling voters to furnish documents to establish their citizenship. When voting rights are taken away, it has to be understood as a civil death,” he said, expressing concern over the broader timeline: “We must note the chronology – now they are doing the SIR, next year they will do the census and the NPR.”
On-the-Ground “Ethnic Cleansing” of Rolls?
Reports from other states where the SIR is underway formed a core part of the discussion, painting a picture of chaos and alleged prejudice. Aishwarya from the Peoples Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) noted the process is causing “widespread exclusions across various States, disproportionately affecting women, migrant workers, Dalits, Adivasis and other marginalised communities,” often while enumeration forms remain unavailable.
Shazin from the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) shared alarming anecdotes from Madhya Pradesh, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs) collecting blank, pre-signed forms and failing to provide receipts. He cited one extreme case: “In one shocking incident, a BLO committed suicide after facing pressure to exclude more names from backward communities and include more from the General category.”
These accounts fueled strong condemnations of the SIR’s intent. Thinker Shivsundar controversially alleged the process aimed at creating a “Hindu Rashtra.” “SIR is not just political disenfranchisement, but economic disenfranchisement,” he argued. “Once the voter ID card is taken away, they will deny access to government schemes… In many states, BJP-RSS cadre are not assisting, they are directing the BLOs. Thus, SIR is not cleansing of electoral rolls; it is ethnic cleansing.”
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A Call for Mass Mobilisation
Faced with these allegations, the coalition is preparing for a dual-pronged approach: legal challenge and popular resistance. Activist Shripad Bhat stressed that while legal avenues are important, “we must focus on a strong people’s movement that will compel the Government to withdraw such unconstitutional processes.”
The session concluded with a solemn resolution opposing the SIR’s rollout in twelve states and mourning the deaths of BLOs reportedly under pressure. It declared the SIR a direct threat to constitutional democracy, disproportionately targeting the landless, migrants, transgender persons, women, Dalits, Adivasis, and minorities.
The fundamental question raised by the campaign remains unanswered by authorities: In a democracy, should the government decide who the voters are, or should the voters decide who the government is? As Prof. Rajendran poignantly noted, “We must recognise the inversion of architecture that SIR brings. Earlier people were voting for the Government. Now, the Government is deciding who the voters will be.” The “My Vote My Right” campaign now aims to translate this rhetorical question into a potent political movement.
Key Quotes
On Constitutional & Legal Threat:
“This is not revision but a disenfranchisement exercise which affects the marginalised communities the most… The SIR is calculated to undermine this most fundamental of rights.” – Clifton D’Rozario, General Secretary, AILAJ
On the SIR-NRC Link & “Civil Death”:
“The default assumption is one of doubt… When voting rights are taken away, it has to be understood as a civil death.” – Vinay Sreenivasa, Activist
On Alleged Political & Social Agenda:
“SIR is not just political disenfranchisement, but economic disenfranchisement… SIR is not cleansing of electoral rolls; it is ethnic cleansing.” – Shivsundar, Thinker and Activist
On Ground-Level Implementation & Pressure:
“In one shocking incident, a BLO committed suicide after facing pressure to exclude more names from backward communities and include more from the General category.” – Shazin, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR)
On the “Inversion” of Democratic Power:
“Earlier people were voting for the Government. Now, the Government is deciding who the voters will be.” – Prof. Rajendran
On the Path Forward:
“We must focus on a strong people’s movement that will compel the Government to withdraw such unconstitutional processes.” – Shripad Bhat, Activist and Thinker
Q&A: Understanding the SIR Controversy
Q1: What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?
A: The SIR is a special drive initiated by the Election Commission of India to intensively review and update voter lists, ostensibly to remove duplicate or ineligible entries. However, critics argue the process, as implemented, places an extraordinary burden on citizens to proactively “prove” their citizenship and locality, deviating from the usual voter-led verification.
Q2: Why are civil society groups so opposed to it?
A: Opponents make several key arguments:
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Backdoor NRC: They allege it functions as a de-facto National Register of Citizens, shifting the burden of proof onto the voter and creating a presumption of doubt.
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Targeted Disenfranchisement: They contend it will disproportionately disenfranchise vulnerable groups—migrants, the homeless, women, Dalits, Adivasis, and religious minorities—who may lack documentary proof or face systemic barriers.
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Procedural Flaws: Reports from other states cite coercion, blank forms being collected, lack of transparency, and undue political pressure on officials.
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Constitutional Threat: They assert it violates the core constitutional principle of universal adult franchise.
Q3: What is the “economic disenfranchisement” argument?
A: Activists warn that a voter ID is not just for voting; it’s a primary identity document to access government welfare schemes, subsidies, and services. Losing it could mean exclusion from food rations, pensions, and healthcare, pushing already marginalised communities deeper into poverty.
Q4: What evidence is there of malpractice?
A: Campaigners cite field reports from states like Madhya Pradesh, including instances of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) collecting blank signed forms and failing to provide legally mandated acknowledgments. The tragic case of a BLO’s alleged suicide under pressure to manipulate rolls is presented as an extreme consequence of a flawed process.
Q5: What are the campaign’s demands?
A: The “My Vote My Right” coalition demands:
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The immediate withdrawal of the current SIR process.
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A return to a routine, transparent, and inclusive summary revision of electoral rolls where inclusion is the default.
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An end to any process that forces citizens to prove citizenship for voting.
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Protection of the fundamental right to vote for all eligible Indians.
Q6: What is the government or Election Commission’s likely response to these allegations?
A: The authorities typically state that the SIR is a necessary cleanup exercise to ensure electoral integrity and remove bogus voters. They maintain that adequate safeguards and opportunities for claims and objections exist for all legitimate voters. This sets the stage for a fundamental clash of perspectives: “cleaning rolls” versus “disenfranchising citizens.”
