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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday flagged the issue of "voter deletion" during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in nine states and three UTs.
Kharge, backing Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's campaigns against alleged "vote theft", said that SIR is a "conspiracy to restrict" democratic rights. "Today SIR is a matter of serious concern. It is a well-thought-out conspiracy to restrict democratic rights. Rahulji has repeatedly presented evidence of 'vote theft' before the country with facts and examples," Kharge said during his opening remark at the CWC meet. "The collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission is well-known to all. Therefore, we must ensure that the names of our voters are not deleted," he added. Kharge called party members to ensure that the votes of marginalised communities are not removed or transferred to other booths. "We must ensure that the names of people from poor and vulnerable sections, especially Dalits, Adivasis, Extremely Backward Classes, and minorities, are not removed from the voter list. Nor should they be TRANSFERRED to other booths. For this, our BLAs will have to go door-to-door with the voter list," he said. Kharge further called party members to start working unitedly for the upcoming Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry Assembly elections in April-May 2026 Kharge also raised the issue of the BJP "misusing" government agencies against the Opposition. "Over the past 11 years, the country has seen how agencies like ED, IT, and CBI are being misused. The BJP and Sangh Parivar are engaged in tarnishing the image of our leaders on the NATIONAL HERALD issue. We are fighting a legal battle. 'Satyameva Jayate'--this is what Rahulji always says, and we will emerge victorious," he said. Kharge concluded his speech by highlighting violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and recent acts of vandalism during Christmas across the country. "The attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh in recent months have worried the entire country. We strongly condemn this. One more thing is on my mind. Two days ago, on the occasion of Christmas, people from the BJP, RSS, and related organisations in many areas worked to disrupt brotherhood and harmony. This has tarnished our image in the eyes of the world," he said. (ANI)
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