- Jayanta Malla Baruah called for Special Intensive Revision of Assam's voter list every five years
- Baruah emphasised removal of foreign nationals from Assam's electoral rolls amid illegal immigration concerns
- He criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over EVM allegations and called for ballot paper elections
Assam Cabinet Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah has called for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls every five years, saying the exercise is necessary to ensure that no foreign national's name remains on the state's voter list while speaking exclusively to NDTV.
Speaking at the Jan Jagaran Samdal rally in Nalbari, Assam on Tuesday, Baruah also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the opposition's allegations concerning electronic voting machines (EVMs) and its demand for a return to ballot paper voting.
"Everyone wants an SIR in Assam. Not a single foreigner's name should remain on Assam's voter list," Baruah said.
Referring to Assam's six-year-long agitation against illegal immigration, the minister argued that the state had particular reasons to scrutinise electoral rolls.
Baruah also accused the Congress of blaming EVMs for its electoral defeats and referred to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's recent remarks challenging the opposition to contest elections using ballot papers.
"Congress never stands with the public, which is why they keep losing. And after losing, they blame EVMs, sometimes ballot papers, or make other excuses," he said.
The minister's remarks come amid an ongoing political debate over electoral integrity, voter lists and the Opposition's allegations against the election process.
The Nalbari rally, which organisers said drew more than 30,000 people, also saw young men and women expressing support for the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Assam.
Baruah claimed that young people and women were coming forward to support the government's position on national issues. He also criticised groups that had opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), alleging that they were working against the country's interests.
The minister's demand for SIR every five years places electoral roll revision at the centre of the political debate in Assam, where illegal immigration has remained a longstanding and contentious issue.
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