Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday criticised the Congress and other opposition parties over the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Addressing a press conference, Adityanath accused opposition parties of creating confusion over the SIR exercise and questioning constitutional institutions. He said the revision was not being conducted for the first time and referred to previous exercises carried out in 1952, 1957, 1961, 1965-66 and 2003.
According to Adityanath, the present controversy surrounding the SIR has been unnecessarily intensified by parties including the Congress, Samajwadi Party and RJD. He said voters who were left out of the process have the option of submitting the required forms.
The chief minister also referred to the Election Commission's recent clarifications on the issue. He said the three Election Commissioners had addressed the concerns raised publicly and maintained that directions regarding the SIR process had been issued in advance.
Adityanath further said the Supreme Court had upheld the Election Commission's position concerning Form 6, which is used for inclusion of names in electoral rolls.
The SIR controversy has triggered a wider political debate, with opposition parties raising questions about the electoral roll revision process and the functioning of the Election Commission. The poll panel, meanwhile, has defended its procedures and sought to clarify concerns surrounding the exercise.
During the press conference, Adityanath also criticised the opposition over its comments on national security and military operations. He referred to questions raised by opposition leaders regarding the Balakot airstrike and Operation Sindoor.
The chief minister said criticism of the Election Commission and other constitutional institutions could affect public confidence in the country's democratic processes. His remarks come at a time when the SIR exercise has emerged as a major political issue, with both the ruling side and opposition parties putting forward sharply different views on its implementation and impact.
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