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TN: VCK, MDMK slam SIR as ‘hidden’ citizenship drive, back Stalin’s move to oppose exercise

By IANS | Updated: November 2, 2025 17:21 IST

Chennai, Nov 2 In a strong rebuke to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, ...

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Chennai, Nov 2 In a strong rebuke to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president and Lok Sabha MP Thol.

Thirumavalavan and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko on Sunday warned that the process was a politically motivated move aimed at undermining citizenship rights under the guise of voter verification.

Speaking to reporters after attending the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in Chennai, Thirumavalavan described the SIR as “a targeted assault on citizenship rather than just voting rights,” asserting that it was part of a broader plan to enforce the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) indirectly.

“The SIR is not merely about revising voter lists—it is a politically motivated attempt to question and weaken the citizenship of Indians. What appears to be an electoral exercise is actually a veiled attempt to impose the NRC using the Election Commission as a tool,” he said.

The Chidambaram MP lauded the Chief Minister’s “swift and responsible action” in convening the meeting and supporting a draft resolution to oppose the process.

“The VCK appreciates the urgency and clarity with which the Chief Minister has outlined the danger,” he said, adding that the BJP-led Union government was “pushing an agenda that undermines constitutional rights.”

Thirumavalavan argued that the SIR was unconstitutional within a year before elections and urged that the exercise be halted until the Supreme Court ruled on the pending case.

“This is not voter verification but citizenship verification. The Election Commission has no authority to carry out such work,” he declared.

Echoing similar sentiments, Vaiko accused the Election Commission of acting “at the behest of the Union government,” calling the move “a strike at the very roots of democracy.”

He criticised parties that boycotted the all-party meeting, saying their absence from deliberations on such a crucial democratic issue was “deeply disappointing.”

Warning of demographic distortion, Vaiko said the revision could facilitate large-scale inclusion of non-local voters in Tamil Nadu.

“It is our duty and moral responsibility to prevent such attempts,” he said, reiterating the MDMK’s firm opposition to the SIR.

--IANS

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Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

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