Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 17: As political tensions escalate in poll-bound Bihar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India (EC) has categorically dismissed claims that the process is connected to any form of citizenship verification.
Amid allegations from Opposition parties that the SIR could be a covert exercise resembling the National Register of Citizens (NRC), EC officials clarified that determining citizenship is beyond the commission’s jurisdiction.
“The Election Commission does not decide citizenship. The Citizenship Act, 1955 defines how Indian citizenship is acquired—by birth, descent, registration, or naturalization,” an EC official stated. “Even the Ministry of Home Affairs cannot issue citizenship directly.”
Officials emphasized that no agency or authority, including the EC, can issue or validate proof of citizenship. If citizenship is ever in question, it is the District Magistrate who conducts the necessary inquiry—not the Election Commission.
These clarifications follow rising opposition concerns, which suggest that the SIR could be used as a tool to exclude individuals from voter rolls under the guise of citizenship scrutiny. Calls for transparency have grown louder, especially as the state moves toward elections.
Interestingly, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)—a key NDA ally—has also sought reassurances that the revision process remains purely electoral and not tied to any NRC-like mechanism. Still, the party led by N. Chandrababu Naidu acknowledged the importance of SIR, calling it a crucial opportunity to clean and update voter rolls in a fair and inclusive manner.
Constitutionally, the EC functions under Article 326, which mandates universal adult suffrage—ensuring all Indian citizens aged 18 and above can vote, unless disqualified by specific legal provisions.
The Election Commission reiterated that its role is confined to ensuring a clean and inclusive voter list, and the SIR should not be misconstrued as anything beyond that.