Bengaluru, Oct. 11 -- Civil society groups, political parties, trade unions, women's organisations, and student unions in Karnataka today raised alarm over the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, warning that the move could 'disenfranchise' millions of marginalised voters.
Speaking at a meeting held at the Legislators' Home, over 100 representatives described the SIR as an "NRC-like" exercise that shifts the burden of proving voter eligibility onto citizens, a reversal of the earlier rule requiring the Election Commission to justify deletions.
"The SIR follows the same logic as the NRC," said Vinay Sreenivasa of Bahutva Karnataka. "It shifts the burden onto citizens and risks largescal...