Describing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as anti-democratic, the all-party meeting convened by the ruling DMK on Sunday termed the Election Commission a puppet of the BJP, and decided to challenge the exercise in the Supreme Court.
While all the allies of the DMK and many registered political parties were in attendance, the principal opposition AIADMK, the BJP, and the PMK, as well as actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), have boycotted the meeting.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister MK Stalin, described the SIR, imposed ahead of assembly polls, as against the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu. The apex court is yet to deliver its verdict in the Bihar SIR case, it was pointed out.
“The SIR is unacceptable, and the all-party meeting urges the Election Commission to abandon the exercise. Only after the shortcomings are removed, should it be conducted in a transparent manner as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court after the 2026 assembly election. There should be adequate time to carry out the exercise,” a resolution adopted at the meeting said.
“It is highly condemnable that the EC remains a puppet in the hands of the BJP-led Union Government and functions in an undemocratic manner, disregarding the objections of political parties in Tamil Nadu,” said the resolution, adding, “our apprehensions stem from the recent SIR in Bihar, which witnessed mass deletion of minorities and those opposed to the BJP. Further, the EC has failed to make any statement either before the apex court or in a public forum.”
“It is unmistakable that the SIR, imposed unilaterally on Tamil Nadu and 11 other States, is intended to disenfranchise a vast segment of the electorate and bury electoral democracy,” it was alleged. “The SIR could be conducted only after issuance of a Gazette notification as per Section 169 of the Representation of the People Act, and hence, unlawful. Even the SC direction that Aadhaar should be the 12th document had not been adhered to,” it was pointed out.
“There is only confusion, for the EC announcement says that no document should be collected from electors during the Enumeration Phase. There is no clarity as to when they will be demanded.”