Aam Aadmi Party MP from Anandpur Sahib, Malvinder Kang, has sharply criticized the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party is using the exercise to target opponents and disenfranchise voters in Punjab.
In a video message, Kang said the BJP’s move “poses a grave danger to democracy,” claiming the party intends to strike names of Punjab residents off the rolls. “We will not allow this to happen,” he asserted.
Kang emphasized that democracy can survive only if citizens’ voting rights are safeguarded. He drew parallels with West Bengal, where the Trinamool Congress has blamed SIR for its electoral setbacks. Supporting the TMC, Kang alleged, “In Bengal, the BJP did not win the election; rather, they looted it by misusing the security forces and the Election Commission.”
A former BJP state general secretary until 2020, Kang resigned from the party in solidarity with farmers protesting against the three farm laws. He accused the BJP of previously attempting to “defame Punjab and its farmers” and now trying to “push out bona fide voters” through the revision process.
The Election Department has announced that training for SIR will begin on June 15. Draft rolls will be published on July 31, with final rolls scheduled for release on October 1. Apart from the BJP, all major political parties in Punjab have opposed the exercise.