VIJAYAWADA: A round table conference organised by various pro-democracy and progressive organisations in Vijayawada on Sunday unanimously passed a resolution demanding immediate suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Andhra Pradesh.
The meeting expressed serious concern over the Election Commission of India (ECI) preparing to implement the controversial SIR programme in the state, even while related cases remain pending in the Supreme Court.
It termed the ongoing booth-level preparations without issuing any official notification under the Representation of the People Act as completely illegal.
Though AP is not included in the ECI’s official list of states for SIR, secret preparations underway in the State are unconstitutional and violate citizens’ fundamental voting rights, the resolution stated.
Forcing adults who have been voting for decades to produce fresh documents like birth certificates (while rejecting Aadhaar and voter IDs) amounts to denying constitutional rights and mocking democracy, it added.
The conference urged the State CEO to immediately stop all SIR-related preparations.