Defense of SIR: Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists as vital for maintaining electoral integrity.
Accuracy & Trust: He highlighted that removing duplicate entries and updating records builds public confidence in democratic processes.
Pushback on Opposition: Majhi dismissed opposition criticism, urging fair implementation while ensuring no legitimate voters are wrongfully excluded.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, describing it as a necessary exercise to uphold electoral integrity and protect voters' rights.
His remarks came as opposition parties demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the cancellation of the entire SIR exercise, alleging that around 13 crore eligible voters had been deleted from electoral rolls.
"SIR is a necessary and constructive exercise to uphold the integrity of our electoral system. Its effective implementation, with fairness and due diligence, will help ensure that electoral records remain reliable and that the democratic process commands the confidence it deserves," he said in a social media post.
"The credibility of a democracy rests on free and fair elections and the protection of every eligible citizen's right to vote. Clean and accurate electoral rolls are fundamental to this trust," he added.
The chief minister's remarks came hours before the opposition's protest march in Delhi.
Majhi said duplicate entries, outdated records and the names of deceased persons remaining on electoral rolls could undermine their accuracy.
Maintaining reliable voter lists was, therefore, not merely an administrative necessity but essential to safeguarding electoral integrity and public confidence in democracy, he added.
The chief minister said the SIR helped identify discrepancies, remove duplicate entries, update records following deaths or changes in residence, and ensure that electoral rolls accurately reflected eligible voters.
At the same time, he stressed that the process must protect legitimate voters from wrongful exclusion.
"These are not minor administrative details; they go to the heart of electoral fairness, equal representation and the sanctity of every vote," Majhi said.
