Government Defends Electoral Roll Revision, Says Due Process Followed Without Prejudice

Almost three months after three United Nations Special Rapporteurs raised concerns over large-scale deletion of electors and alleged discrimination during the Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Union government has officially responded. In a communication to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the government stated that the exercise was carried out following due process of law and without prejudice to any group or community.

The government also highlighted that the Supreme Court had upheld the Election Commission’s authority to conduct the SIR. The response came after the UN rapporteurs—on minority issues, on promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and on freedom of religion or belief—wrote to the government on May 1, seeking comments on allegations that Bengali and Muslim electors were being targeted. Their communication was made public earlier this month.

The government’s statement reaffirmed its commitment to lawful procedures and non-discrimination, though it did not address the specific allegations of targeted deletions. The Election Commission has previously maintained that the revision process is routine and applied uniformly across all communities.