Sukanta Majumdar defends SIR, accuses opposition of spreading misinformation
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Ranchi, November 5: Union Minister of State for Education Dr Sukanta Majumdar on Friday accused the Congress and…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, November 5: Union Minister of State for Education Dr Sukanta Majumdar on Friday accused the Congress and other opposition parties of spreading misinformation and confusion over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that their campaign was aimed at undermining public confidence in the Election Commission and other constitutional institutions.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Majumdar said Congress, Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were repeatedly questioning the electoral process without presenting evidence to substantiate their allegations. He accused the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Left parties and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) of attempting to weaken the country’s democratic institutions.
He alleged that the opposition was trying to create an atmosphere of distrust towards constitutional bodies and democratic processes. Referring to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, Majumdar accused opposition leaders of repeatedly attempting to present falsehoods as facts.
Congress blaming SIR for electoral defeats, says minister
Majumdar said the Congress had earlier blamed Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for its electoral defeats and was now using SIR as another excuse.
He claimed that the Congress had lost 56 elections between 2014 and 2025 and said the party should examine its leadership and policies instead of questioning constitutional institutions.
“Perhaps the Congress is inspired by the Indian film ‘Ab Tak Chhappan’ and is trying to create a new record of electoral defeats,” he remarked.
The minister also criticised Rahul Gandhi, saying that election victories could not be achieved by travelling abroad while leaving political campaigns midway. According to him, political parties needed to win the trust and confidence of voters to succeed in elections.
He said the Congress had remained out of power in several states for years and was blaming the Election Commission and electoral procedures out of frustration over repeated defeats.
Majumdar also questioned why the Congress had continued to lose elections before 2024, when the current SIR exercise was not underway. He urged opposition parties to review their policies and leadership rather than question constitutional institutions.
SIR being conducted for the 12th time, claims Majumdar
The Union minister said SIR was not a new exercise and was being conducted in the country for the 12th time. He claimed that the process had been carried out 10 times during Congress rule.
He also referred to former Congress leader Kapil Sibal’s earlier remarks describing the removal of names from electoral rolls as a routine process.
Accusing the opposition of selectively highlighting the figure of 13 crore deleted names, Majumdar said it was not explaining the reasons behind the removals.
According to the figures cited by him, the list included approximately 2.8 crore deceased voters, 6.3 crore people who had shifted to other places and around one crore duplicate entries.
He claimed that, except in cases involving approximately 2.8 crore deceased voters, notices had been sent to other voters concerned. Booth Level Officers (BLOs), he said, had visited households up to three times to verify voters’ names and details.
Majumdar further claimed that around 20 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) representing the BJP, Congress and other political parties had participated in the verification process alongside BLOs. He alleged that the opposition had failed to produce evidence of irregularities despite its involvement in the exercise.
‘Feeling of vote theft’ remark by Rahul Gandhi criticised
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft, Majumdar said the Congress leader had failed to provide concrete evidence to support his claims.
He referred to Gandhi’s reported response to media questions about how votes were allegedly stolen, saying that the Congress leader had described it as a feeling.
Majumdar called the remark immature and inappropriate for a senior opposition leader. He maintained that the opposition had levelled allegations without presenting substantiated evidence.
He also said opposition parties had approached the Supreme Court over the issue but had not received the outcome they had sought.
Minister asks opposition to understand constitutional provisions
Majumdar urged opposition leaders to study the Constitution before questioning the SIR exercise and the Election Commission.
He said constitutional provisions clearly explained voter eligibility, the need for periodic revision of electoral rolls and the powers of the Election Commission.
He argued that these constitutional provisions had been framed during Congress rule and that the party should understand the relevant provisions before raising questions about constitutional institutions.
Opposition accused of attempting to create disorder in Delhi
The Union minister also accused opposition parties of attempting to weaken democratic institutions by creating unrest in Delhi.
Referring to an incident on July 20, he alleged that 118 police personnel were seriously injured during the disturbance. He further claimed that women and BLOs were also attacked.
Majumdar accused opposition leaders and their allies of attempting to create instability after failing to achieve their objectives through constitutional and democratic processes.
He said political power could not be captured by creating disorder on the streets and that a change of government in India could only take place through democratic and electoral processes.
He urged opposition parties to approach voters with their policies, leadership and performance if they wanted to return to power.
Majumdar confident of BJP’s return to power in 2029
Majumdar expressed confidence that the BJP-led government would return to power after the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. He said opposition parties would again face rejection from voters.
He appealed to the media to bring the facts surrounding the SIR controversy before the public and highlight what he described as attempts to discredit the electoral process and create distrust towards constitutional institutions.
He said efforts to undermine public confidence in elections and democracy were a matter of serious concern and called for strengthening democratic institutions.
BJP state vice-president Balmukund Sahay, state chief spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo and state media in-charge Yogendra Pratap Singh were present at the press conference.
