India's Owaisi warns SIR voter verification could threaten citizenship

AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, saying it mirrors the NRC and could become a "backdoor" test of citizenship, a matter he called "life and death" for affected voters. He warned that exclusion from the SIR roll could lead to loss of voting rights, government benefits, and even trigger citizenship verification by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Owaisi submitted a representation to the Chief Electoral Officer detailing practical concerns: enumeration forms would require voters to copy details from the 2002 electoral roll onto the 2025 roll, a pre‑filled form using earlier mapping data was not provided, and the workload on Booth Level Officers would be amplified, especially during the monsoon. He urged that forms be made available in English and Urdu, and that additional documents such as PAN cards, driving licences and food‑security cards be accepted for verification.

He cited a West Bengal government order that denies benefits to those excluded by SIR and questioned the broader consequences for property rights and welfare. Owaisi framed the issue as discrimination against Muslims and a threat to democratic participation.