SIR exercise in Bihar has become chaotic: CPI(ML) general secy

CPI-ML (Liberation) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Tuesday alleged that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar had turned chaotic, with booth level officers (BLOs) failing to reach a majority of voters or visit households thrice as claimed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) before the start of the exercise.

- HT Correspondent

Addressing a press conference, Bhattacharya said the SIR had become a tool to disenfranchise lakhs of voters who are unable to furnish documents to prove their citizenship. “A majority of voters do not possess documents like birth certificates or matriculation certificates. Even obtaining a permanent residence certificate has become difficult due to the slow and complicated online process. So, when the ECI demands documents after the draft rolls are published, how will the people prove their citizenship?” he asked.