Former Union minister and retired IAS officer R.K. Singh has launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In an open letter shared on social media, Singh accused the poll body of violating the law and pushing millions of eligible voters off the rolls.
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What Singh Says The Law Requires
Singh pointed to Sections 21 and 22 of the Representation of the People (RP) Act. He argued that a special revision is meant to be an exception, not a rule for the whole country. He also said only the Electoral Registration Officer can remove a name, and only on the grounds listed in the law and after a specific enquiry.
The 13 Crore Claim
Singh alleged that around 13 crore names, roughly 13 per cent of voters, have been deleted so far, and that the SIR is not yet over. He said many were removed without any inquiry or chance to respond, and that affected people had to apply again as new voters. This 13 crore figure is Singh’s claim, and the Congress has made a similar allegation.
Questions He Wants Answered
Singh asked whether the decision to hold the SIR nationwide was taken by the full Election Commission or by Kumar alone. He also questioned the use of a centralised digital roll that can reject names over “logical discrepancy”, when the law names the registration officer as the only authority. He asked how elections were held while lakhs of appeals were pending, and claimed that about 90 per cent of appeals decided so far show the excluded voters were valid.
Impact On The Poor
Singh said the exercise hurts poor people, migrants and marginalised communities the most. He also raised concern that changes to Form 6, used to register new voters, could create hurdles for young people.
