India Rejects US Lawmaker’s Remarks on Electoral Roll Revision as ‘Unwarranted, Uninformed’
MEA calls Pramila Jayapal’s criticism of voter deletions “unwarranted and uninformed”, while the Election Commission says excluded voters can seek inclusion through the prescribed procedure.
NEW DELHI, Oct 16: India on Friday strongly rejected remarks by US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal questioning the revision of electoral rolls, describing her comments as “unwarranted and uninformed” and an interference in the electoral practices of a fellow democracy.
Jayapal had expressed concern on Wednesday over reports that around 13 crore names had been removed from draft electoral rolls in India during the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Responding to questions about her criticism during his bi-weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the remarks amounted to interference in India’s electoral processes.
“This is an approach that undermines democracy itself,” Jaiswal said.
In a post on X, Jayapal had expressed concern over what she described as the removal of 130 million people from India’s voting rolls. She also drew parallels between the developments in India and actions by the Trump administration in the United States, alleging that both raised concerns about voting rights.
The US lawmaker maintained that safeguarding democratic institutions worldwide was essential and said Indian citizens, like Americans, deserved free and fair elections.
Her remarks came amid protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR exercise and allegations of irregularities in electoral processes.
According to figures released by the Election Commission of India, approximately 7.2 crore names were removed from draft electoral rolls during the first two phases of the revision, conducted across 13 states and Union Territories.
In the ongoing third phase, draft electoral rolls have been published in 18 states and Union Territories, with a further 6.16 crore names deleted, taking the reported total across the three phases to around 13.36 crore.
The Election Commission has maintained that voters whose names were inadvertently excluded can seek their inclusion through the prescribed claims and objections process. Eligible applicants may also submit Form 6 to request registration in the electoral rolls.
India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, had also criticised Jayapal’s comments in a post on X on Thursday, describing her remarks on India’s electoral and political processes as unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs.
The exchange has brought renewed attention to the electoral roll revision exercise, with Indian authorities defending the process and critics raising concerns about its potential impact on voter participation.
