Kerala Assembly Unites Against Election Commission’s SIR Move

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s resolution receives full backing from Congress-led UDF opposition in the House.

Kerala Assembly Rejects SIR Proposal

Kerala Assembly on Monday unanimously opposed the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. The House urged the poll body to carry out voter list updates transparently and fairly.

Opposition Voices Support for Resolution

The Congress-led UDF opposition, which had earlier raised concerns over SIR, fully supported the resolution introduced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

CM Flags “Hasty Move” and Suspected Intentions

In the resolution, the CM expressed worries about the “hasty move” by the Election Commission and hinted at possible “ill-motive” behind the action.

Concerns About NRC Link

Vijayan pointed out fears that the SIR could serve as a “backdoor” method to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC). He cited Bihar’s recent SIR experience as evidence, describing it as a “politics of exclusion.”

Bihar’s SIR Raised National Alarm

The CM alleged that Bihar’s SIR process saw “illogical exclusions” from voter lists. He noted the country is concerned whether similar steps are planned nationwide.

Questioning SIR in Poll-Bound States

The resolution highlighted the risks of rushing the SIR in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal while the Supreme Court reviews Bihar’s SIR process. Vijayan said such actions cannot be seen as innocent.

Hasty Implementation Threatens Democracy

Vijayan warned that the Election Commission’s rushed plan, which requires careful preparation, might undermine democracy. “It casts a shadow of suspicion over the Commission,” he said.

Elections Timing Makes SIR Problematic

“The local body elections in Kerala are approaching. Assembly elections will follow immediately. Conducting SIR now is ill-intentioned,” Vijayan remarked.

Past Voter List Revision in Kerala

Kerala last conducted a full voter list revision in 2002. Vijayan called it “unscientific” to base current SIR on outdated data.

Citizenship Certificate Rule Criticized

The SIR requires citizens born after 1987 to provide parental citizenship certificates to vote. Those born after 2003 must also submit similar documents, which, Vijayan noted, undermines adult franchise.

Marginalized Communities at Risk

Studies show SIR provisions disproportionately exclude marginalized groups, including minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, and economically weaker citizens.

Voting Rights of Non-Residents

Vijayan also stressed safeguarding non-resident voters’ rights in the electoral rolls.

Concerns Over Citizenship Amendment Act Revival

The CM warned that SIR could be misused to revive provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act, challenging democracy and equality.

Assembly Demands Transparent Voter List Revision

The resolution demands that the Election Commission avoid practices that violate citizens’ fundamental rights and conduct voter list revisions transparently. Following amendments from some members, Speaker A N Shamseer announced the unanimous passage of the resolution.