Opposition parties and citizens say changes under the SIR process are being used to target minority Muslims, as voters in central Assam report repeated demands to prove citizenship
NEW DELHI/TEZPUR – Anxiety and anger are spreading among Muslim communities in Assam after changes linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls led to a wave of notices, objections, and alleged deletions from voter lists, just months before the assembly elections.
Opposition parties have accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using Form-7 to single out minority Muslims, forcing them to repeatedly prove their identity and citizenship. Several voters say they have been treated as suspects despite having voted for decades.
The issue deepened after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly admitted that BJP workers were guided to file Form-7 applications, using the term “Miya” while identifying minority voters. The remark drew strong criticism from opposition leaders and civil rights groups, who called it insulting and discriminatory.
Many Muslims summoned for SIR hearings said they were being questioned without any valid reason. In Tezpur, where hearings are ongoing, fear has grown among voters. On Wednesday alone, nearly 3,000 people from the Tezpur constituency were asked to appear before the Circle Officer as part of a special verification drive.
Several people reported serious errors. Some were marked as dead, while others found their voting rights restricted without explanation.
A voter from Ward No. 10 in Tezpur said his family has voted since 1966, yet his name was suddenly missing. “My name was on the voter list earlier. This time, the BLO came, took all details, but my name is still not there. Two days ago, they told me my name is not on the list,” he said.
Questioning the process, he added, “My father is Indian, my son is Indian, but I am being treated as Bangladeshi. How can this be?”
Another voter from the same ward said he had voted in the last election but was now asked to appear for corrections. A first-time voter also complained that his name was missing without any notice.
Similar stories emerged from Muslim-majority areas. Tariq Saikia from Bechariya village near Tezpur said the uncertainty had shaken people. “I am standing here today and I don’t know what will happen under this government,” he said.
Saikia said the BLO collected full details from his home, yet his name disappeared. “I even received papers saying I am dead,” he said. He added that around 300 people from his village had received similar notices.
In Nagaon district, the situation appears just as troubling. Notices were issued based on complaints by unknown persons, leading to several living voters being declared dead. Elderly citizens and well-known local figures were among those affected.
Those named include BLO Nooruddin Ahmed from Amin Patti, Gamil Ahmed and Imdad Khan from Bora Bazaar, and Qutubuddin Bhuyan. The notices were reportedly linked to FIRs filed by unidentified complainants claiming these individuals had died.
Imdad Khan, a retired Income Tax officer, said he was shocked. “When I received the notice, I could not believe it,” he said.
Another resident said he was declared dead, while his daughter received a notice saying she had shifted houses. “Our family has lived in Bora Bazaar since 1901. My father voted in the first election after Independence. Now we are being troubled under this process,” he said, adding bitterly, “I asked the officer how a dead man can receive a notice.”
The controversy has even touched the legal community. A senior lawyer and former president of the Nagaon Bar Association, Azeeruddin, who practised law for nearly 60 years, was also declared dead. His family expressed deep worry, with his daughter saying he is unwell but alive.
Reacting to the issue, All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya said the organisation supports voter list revision, but not at the cost of local Assamese Muslims. “We support special revision, but sending notices to local Muslims is not acceptable,” he said.
He said AASU had written to the Chief Electoral Officer, asking that names of illegal migrants be removed, but without harassing genuine citizens. “Local Muslims should not suffer in this process,” he said.
As elections draw closer, the SIR controversy has added fresh tension to Assam’s politics. For many Muslim families, the issue is no longer just about paperwork, but about dignity, fear, and the basic right to vote without being treated as outsiders in their own land.
