Govt Defends Electoral Roll Revision Amid Oppn Accusations of Misuse

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A heated debate erupted in the Rajya Sabha over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with the government defending the exercise against opposition claims of misuse. Union Minister JP Nadda accused the Congress of spreading misconception about the ECI's independence and credibility, saying reforms are a continuous process to strengthen democracy. The opposition, however, pointed to Home Minister Amit Shah's 'detect, delete, deport' remark, interpreting it as 'divide, distract, deflect'. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien alleged that the government is polarizing voters along religious and linguistic lines, while Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi criticized the central government for undermining constitutional principles and the ECI's silence on the issue. The controversy comes after the ECI's recent revision of electoral rolls, with the opposition expressing concerns over the government's intentions.