SIR a 'Disruptive Exercise Like Demonetisation':CPI(ML)

CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya has strongly criticised the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of voters' lists in Bihar, calling it a “disruptive exercise like demonetisation” that threatens to undermine the principle of universal adult franchise.Bhattacharya alleged that the Election Commission (EC) had strayed from India’s electoral traditions by asking citizens to prove their citizenship for the first time in 75 years of democracy. “The EC is not the competent body to judge citizenship. Yet, people are being asked to prove it. This decision is a complete departure from established electoral procedures and violates the very spirit of universal adult franchise,” he said.
Despite opposition from CPI(ML) Liberation and other constituents of the Mahagathbandhan, the SIR has continued in Bihar. Bhattacharya claimed that up to two crore voters could face disenfranchisement. “Already 65 lakh names have been deleted, and three lakh more voters have been served notices. This is not a hypothetical danger—it is happening,” he said.He further alleged that none of the deletions involved so-called “foreign infiltrators,” dismissing BJP’s narrative. “When the EC, under Supreme Court pressure, released decentralised deletion lists on August 18, it was clear that not a single Bangladeshi, Nepali or Myanmarese was among them. The propaganda about infiltrators has fallen flat,” Bhattacharya said.
The CPI(ML) leader detailed how public pressure and court interventions had forced the EC to retreat on several points: withdrawing its initial demand for voter documents by July 25, releasing deletion lists only after Supreme Court orders, and accepting Aadhaar as valid proof in September. Yet, he cautioned that electoral fraud and disenfranchisement “remain live dangers” as the final list is being prepared “behind closed doors.”Comparing the process to demonetisation, Bhattacharya said, “Just as demonetisation disrupted the economy, SIR has disrupted the electoral process. Both were sudden, arbitrary and hugely disruptive. But just as people survived demonetisation, I hope Bihar too will overcome this disruption and deliver a decisive mandate for change.”
He alleged that women, Muslims, and migrant workers were disproportionately affected by voter deletions, pointing to demands for legacy documents and alleged biases among Booth Level Officers (BLOs). “This is not just clerical error but reflects social and political bias,” he said.Bhattacharya also attacked the BJP, claiming its “real strength lies in misusing the administration, not organisational capacity,” and accused the NDA government in Bihar of fostering a “criminal-politician-police nexus” amid widespread poverty and unemployment.Shifting focus to West Bengal, he warned against a BJP-TMC binary and stressed the need for a third political force led by the Left, in alliance with other democratic forces. “If the BJP becomes the sole opposition in Bengal, the state will plunge into permanent chaos and sectarian politics,” he said.
Bhattacharya also commented on Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, calling it resource-rich but doubtful in electoral impact. “It is creating buzz, but I don’t see it making a major dent,” he said.For now, the CPI(ML) leader insisted that Bihar’s agitation against the SIR exercise had limited disenfranchisement and awakened public vigilance. “The slogan ‘vote-thief’ has now gone viral. Bihar has become a wake-up call for Bengal and other states,” he said.