New Delhi: On Thursday, the Election Commission strongly defended the Centre-supported Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls, rejecting opposition claims of voter suppression.

“The Constitution of India serves as the foundation of our democracy. Out of fear, the Election Commission, misled by certain individuals, is enabling these people to cast fraudulent votes using the identities of deceased voters, those who have permanently relocated, individuals who have voted in multiple locations, fake voters, or foreign nationals, starting in Bihar and eventually across the nation,” stated the election commission.

“Isn’t the authentic voter list being compiled by the Election Commission through a transparent method the cornerstone of fair elections and a robust democracy? At some point, all of us, along with every citizen of India, must reflect deeply on these issues, transcending political ideologies. Perhaps the most opportune moment for this critical reflection has now arrived in India,” the EC remarked.

This statement from the election commission follows criticism from opposition parties, who accuse the election commission and the Centre of intentionally scheduling the voter list revision to disenfranchise certain voter demographics ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections in Bihar.

According to data released by the Election Commission on Wednesday, 56 lakh names are set to be removed from Bihar’s voter rolls. This data indicates that the 56 lakh names consist of 20 lakh deceased voters, 28 lakh who have permanently moved to another state, 7 lakh individuals registered in multiple locations, and 1 lakh voters who cannot be contacted.

Additionally, 15 lakh individuals did not return the voter verification forms distributed during the ongoing process, putting them at risk of exclusion from the final voter list.