Congress Spreading False Propaganda on SIR Process: Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy

Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Sunday launched a strong attack on the Congress party and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, accusing them of spreading false propaganda about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Speaking at a media conference in Hyderabad, he alleged that Congress was deliberately trying to discredit constitutional institutions while misleading the public.

He said the Election Commission of India (ECI) is an independent constitutional authority entrusted with maintaining the accuracy of voter lists. Defending the ongoing revision exercise, he stated that the process is aimed at correcting errors, removing duplicate or fake entries, and deleting names that have been illegally included. It also covers updates such as new voter registrations, corrections, transfers, and address changes.

Kishan Reddy added that the SIR exercise would soon be implemented in Telangana and would be carried out under the supervision of state administrative officials, including district collectors, the chief secretary, tahsildars, and municipal commissioners. He clarified that Election Commission officials would not directly visit villages, as the work would be executed through the local administrative machinery.

The Union Minister alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had attempted to create suspicion and tension around the voter list revision during a recent meeting with members of a minority community. He said such statements were politically motivated and aimed at influencing public perception.

He further questioned the Chief Minister’s remarks, asking whether he lacked trust in his own government officials who are responsible for implementing the process. Kishan Reddy maintained that every political party and citizen has the right to monitor the exercise and raise objections if irregularities are found.

He also accused Congress of resorting to divisive politics as its influence weakens nationally. According to him, the party has been targeting key democratic institutions, including the Election Commission, Parliament, and the Supreme Court, in an attempt to regain political ground.

The nationwide exercise covers 16 states and 3 Union Territories , involving nearly 36 crore voters , in coordination with census-related updates. In Telangana, the qualifying date has been set as October 1, 2026 .

The process will begin on June 15 , with preparatory work until June 24. Door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers will be conducted from June 25 to July 24 . The draft roll will be published on July 31 , followed by objections until August 30 . Final disposal of claims will continue until September 28 , and the final electoral roll will be released on October 1 .