Group of intellectuals, lawyers, social activists demand immediate end to SIR

A group of intellectuals, lawyers, students and social activists has demanded the immediate termination of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls , calling it a process that violates citizens’ rights and undermines democratic safeguards.

The demand was raised at a seminar organised by the human rights organisation Janhastakshep at the Press Club of India , where concerns were expressed over alleged large-scale deletions of voters and lack of due process. The event was attended by former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, former Delhi University professor Badri Raina, and others.

A unanimous resolution passed at the seminar demanded that the SIR process across states, including West Bengal, be immediately stopped. It said appeals of deleted voters must be “decided promptly, allowing them to vote,” or alternatively, the 2025 updated electoral rolls should be used to ensure participation.

The resolution stated that the Election Commission of India should only maintain voter lists and not verify citizenship documents, adding that such responsibility lies with the Ministry of Home Affairs . It warned that continued exclusion could make elections “meaningless.”

Meanwhile, the issue is also under Supreme Court scrutiny , where judges have flagged the risk of voter exclusion and stressed a “robust appellate mechanism” to restore wrongly deleted names, while allowing the exercise to continue under judicial monitoring.

Civil society groups and opposition voices have also criticised the process nationwide, alleging it may lead to disenfranchisement and targeting of vulnerable communities, while the Election Commission maintains it is a routine exercise to ensure accurate rolls.

The seminar was convened by Vikas Bajpei of JNU, with journalist Anil Dubey as co-convener.