Hyderabad: Senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan on Saturday, January 31, alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was being used as a tool to turn India into a Hindu Rashtra, warning that it would reduce Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis, Christians and other minorities to second-class citizens.
SIR threatens constitutional idea of citizenship: Bhushan
Addressing a seminar organised by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Telangana chapter, at the Medina Education Centre in Nampally, Bhushan said such exercises threatened the constitutional idea of citizenship.
Recalling past judicial interventions, Bhushan said that when the Chief Election Commissioner had undertaken similar actions in Maharashtra in 1995, the Supreme Court of India had questioned whether people could be stripped of citizenship merely for not possessing 12 documents demanded by the Election Commission.
He noted that the Supreme Court had ruled in 2004 that determining citizenship was not the Election Commission’s responsibility.
“Despite these clear rulings, the Centre and the Election Commission are moving ahead, ignoring constitutional limits. The Election Commission has completely fallen under the control of the Modi government,” Bhushan alleged.
SIR is being used arbitrarily in BJP-ruled states: Bhushan
He further claimed that while the SIR exercise was not progressing in states ruled by non-BJP parties, voters were being arbitrarily deleted in BJP-ruled states.
Ex HC judges join voices
Former Bombay High Court judge Abhay Thipsay criticised what he termed false propaganda, suggesting that Muslims were increasing their population to take over the country.
Former Telangana High Court judge Chandrakumar said the Congress had been voted to power to teach the BJP and BRS a lesson, warning that the Congress government too would face consequences if it failed to protect secularism.
APCR releases fact-finding report
During the programme, APCR released a fact-finding report in book form on alleged instances of state violence and atrocities against Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis in Telangana over the past two to three years. Several victims shared their experiences at the event.
Professor Haragopal, APCR representatives Sheikh Usman and Nadeem Khan, Dalit Bahujan Front representative Kalpana, among others, were present at the seminar.
