ITANAGAR, OCT 29:
Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Textiles Pabitra Margherita on Thursday praised the people of Arunachal Pradesh for their cooperation in the peaceful conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, while accusing the Congress of politicising the exercise and creating unnecessary confusion.
Addressing a press conference at the state BJP headquarters here, Margherita, accompanied by BJP Arunachal Pradesh chief spokesperson and MLA Mutchu Mithi, said the state had demonstrated how constitutional processes could be conducted peacefully through public cooperation and democratic responsibility.
According to figures cited at the press conference, approximately 22 per cent of entries were removed from the existing electoral rolls following verification. These included entries relating to deceased voters, people who had shifted residence, individuals whose whereabouts could not be established and duplicate registrations.
Margherita thanked the people of the state for their cooperation across political, social and cultural divisions. He also acknowledged the contributions of election officials, Booth Level Officers, political representatives, civil society organisations and citizens in facilitating the exercise.
Defending SIR as an established electoral process, he pointed out that electoral-roll revisions had been conducted under successive governments, including Congress-led administrations. He questioned the Congress’s opposition to the exercise, alleging that the party was portraying a legitimate constitutional process as an attack on democracy.
“Electoral-roll revision is about protecting the integrity of elections, not serving the political interests of any party,” he said.
Emphasising the need for accurate and reliable electoral rolls, Margherita said periodic verification was essential to address duplicate registrations and entries relating to deceased voters and people who had relocated. He maintained that electoral accuracy must go hand in hand with protecting the voting rights of every eligible citizen.
He stressed that no eligible voter should lose their rights because of an administrative or clerical error. Those whose names had been wrongly omitted could approach the appropriate electoral authorities for inclusion or correction through the prescribed procedures, he added.
Targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the party leadership, Margherita alleged that the Congress was turning electoral administration into a political battleground following electoral setbacks. He urged the party to substantiate its allegations with evidence and pursue appropriate legal remedies rather than create public confusion.
He also called for respect for constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission of India and the judiciary, while maintaining that legitimate grievances should be addressed through established legal and administrative channels.
Reaffirming the BJP’s commitment to electoral transparency and the rights of eligible voters, Margherita appealed to citizens to verify their electoral details and seek corrections or inclusion wherever necessary.
The press conference was held under the campaign slogan, “Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy”, with the BJP asserting that accurate electoral rolls and public cooperation were essential to safeguarding free and fair elections.
