Amit Shah claims 3 Cr voters deleted during SIR were Bangladeshi infiltrators

Hyderabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has claimed that three crore people removed from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise were Bangladeshi nationals, defending the large-scale deletions amid mounting opposition criticism.

Addressing a rally in Hyderabad on Monday, Shah said around 13 crore names had been removed during the revision. He attributed the deletions to different reasons, including migration, deaths, duplicate registrations and allegedly fictitious voters. He claimed that more than 6.2 crore people had shifted residences, nearly three crore had died and over one crore entries were duplicates.

Shah accused the Congress of opposing the removal of ineligible voters and alleged that the party sought to benefit from bogus voting. He also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the issue.

The SIR exercise began in Bihar in 2025 before being extended to 12 states and Union Territories. A third phase is currently underway in 19 states and Union Territories.

The revision has triggered concerns among opposition parties and civil society groups over the possible exclusion of genuine voters. The Supreme Court upheld the legality of the exercise in May but clarified that the Election Commission cannot determine an individual's citizenship through the process.

Protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation have continued since October 2, with the INDIA bloc staging a symbolic public impeachment on Saturday.