A group of former bureaucrats has issued a call for the Election Commission to abandon the nationwide special intensive revision of electoral rolls due to concerns about irregularities and potential damage to democracy.
A collective of ex-bureaucrats has called upon the Election Commission (EC) to terminate the ongoing nationwide exercise aimed at revising electoral rolls, citing allegations of irregularities in the process as a primary concern. The group's letter, published on Saturday and addressed to the EC, states that the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) risks undermining the commitment to universal adult suffrage, damaging the EC's reputation, and even compromising India's democracy.
The controversy surrounding SIR has been ongoing since its initiation in June 2025. Over a ten-month period, two election commissioners – Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi – have reportedly raised objections to the poll panel’s decisions about SIR on 14 separate occasions. Their concerns pertain to various aspects of the exercise, including the registration of new voters, changes to Form 6, voter appeals in West Bengal, and the handling of voter data in Goa.
In one written objection, Commissioner Sandhu stated that the EC had acted against their advice and described the action as 'unauthorised' and 'illegal'. The ex-bureaucrats also raised concerns over access to the digital electoral roll database. They argue that instances of 'bulk deletions, absurd additions, sloppy documentation, partisan instructions, and unreasonable harassment to citizens' highlight potential issues with SIR.
The retired bureaucrats have questioned whether the decision to undertake the SIR was made by the EC independently or at the behest of the government. They urge the EC to scrap the exercise, revert to established procedures for registering electors, and uphold its constitutional mandate and reputation for impartiality.
The Constitutional Conduct Group comprises 100 signatories, including former West Bengal Election Commissioner Mira Pande, Punjab’s former Director General of Police Julio Ribeiro, Delhi’s former Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former Indian ambassador Gautam Mukhopadhaya, and former Indian Administrative Service officer and activist Harsh Mander.
Source:
Scroll.in
