The premier Muslim organisation questions the rejection of Aadhaar card as proof of citizenship, and seeks clarity on who qualifies for exemptions under the old rolls
NEW DELHI – Premier Muslim organisation, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), on Tuesday voiced strong concern over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 States and Union Territories. It warned that the process could repeat the large-scale voter deletions witnessed in Bihar earlier this year.
The Jamaat Vice President Malik Motasim Khan said the Bihar SIR was marred by “serious irregularities, unrealistic deadlines, and a lack of transparency,” with nearly 65 lakh names deleted initially and 47 lakh still missing after revisions. “The exercise turned into a quasi-citizenship verification drive, shifting the burden of proof onto citizens,” he said.
Khan demanded that the ECI explain what lessons it had learned from Bihar, why the revision is being conducted within just a month, and why 2002–03 remains the cutoff year despite no citizenship verification then. He also questioned the rejection of Aadhaar as proof of citizenship while other non-citizenship documents are accepted, and sought clarity on who qualifies for exemptions under the old rolls.
Highlighting reports of Booth Level Officers filling forms without consent, Khan called for safeguards against forgery and urged measures to protect migrant workers and women, whose representation reportedly declined in Bihar. He also criticised the omission of commonly used IDs such as PAN, ration cards, and MNREGA job cards from the approved list.
Calling for technological transparency, Khan urged the ECI to release machine-readable rolls and strengthen de-duplication systems to prevent manipulation.
“Electoral roll revisions must not become citizenship checks,” he said. “The right to vote should be protected, not restricted through bureaucratic hurdles. Free and fair elections demand transparency, inclusivity, and trust.”
