Is poll panel implementing CAA in the guise of roll revision, asks VCK chief Thirumavalavan

CHENNAI: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan has urged the Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu to suspend the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, citing concerns over irregularities reported in similar exercises in other states.

In a letter to the CEO, Thirumavalavan said the Election Commission of India (ECI) had launched the SIR process in Tamil Nadu even as serious anomalies had surfaced in Bihar, where large-scale deletions from the voter list allegedly targeted Dalit and Muslim communities. He said the revision appeared to have been conducted based on the Citizenship Amendment Act, which was beyond the Election Commission's legal authority.

Quoting findings from The Reporters’ Collective, a group of senior journalists, Thirumavalavan said about 1.32 crore voters were registered in Bihar’s final roll under false or non-existent addresses. Over 14.35 lakh suspected duplicate voters were identified, he added. Among them, 3.42 lakh individuals with matching names, relatives’ names, and ages have been found, the VCK chief said. Several voters reportedly had multiple Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs), raising questions about the accuracy of the rolls, he said.

He pointed out the petitions filed in the Supreme Court to halt what he described as an “unconstitutional exercise.” The VCK had also moved the court over the issue, he said. Despite this, the Election Commission had gone ahead and announced election dates in Bihar, which, he said, cast doubt on its impartiality.

Referring to Karnataka, he noted that over 6,000 voters in the Aland constituency were removed from the list without their knowledge, allegedly with the involvement of Election Commission officials.

Thirumavalavan said the ECI’s authority to revise voter lists should not be misused to question citizenship, adding that the SIR’s purpose was to maintain an accurate and inclusive roll. He urged that the process in Tamil Nadu be suspended until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict.