Controversial Voter Roll Revision Sparks Debate in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced the removal of lakhs of 'doubtful voters' during a Special Revision of electoral rolls. According to Sarma, many deletions stemmed from complaints lodged by BJP workers after the Election Commission published the final voters' list, highlighting over 2.43 lakh deletions.

At a press conference, Sarma stated that this marks the largest removal of names since the Assam Accord, despite attempts to intimidate the process. He affirmed that the effort was a victory for BJP workers who advocated for the deletion of names not belonging to residents, emphasizing a continuous 'war against illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants.'

The revision has led to claims of targeting the 'Miya' community, Bengali-speaking Muslims, with over 5 lakh complaints filed by BJP workers. Opposition parties criticize this as 'vote theft' and undue harassment, alleging bias against genuine citizens from religious minority communities.