At Parliament Floor Leaders' Meeting, Kamal Haasan Flags Voter List Deletions

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan has raised strong concerns over large-scale deletions from the electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, calling it a serious threat to citizens' voting rights and the health of India's democracy.

Speaking at the Parliament Floor Leaders' Meeting ahead of the Budget Session 2026, Kamal Haasan highlighted what he described as widespread voter inconvenience arising from the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. 

Tamil Nadu has reportedly witnessed the removal of close to one crore names from the voters' list ahead of the upcoming state elections, triggering political controversy and public anxiety.

Kamal Haasan said the issue is not limited to Tamil Nadu but reflects a national problem, with similar complaints of voter confusion and distress emerging from other states. He noted that despite raising multiple questions with authorities, the responses received so far have failed to convincingly reassure the public.

Amid suspicions that voter names may have been removed based on political affiliation, religion, or other non-transparent criteria, Haasan warned that ordinary citizens could be unfairly disenfranchised. He stressed that while prominent individuals or politically connected persons may have the resources to challenge wrongful deletions, common citizens - less educated, less informed, and less empowered -remain vulnerable.

Referring to his own family, Haasan cited his nearly 96-year-old brother, Charu Haasan, who wishes to exercise his right to vote, to underline how even senior citizens and legitimate voters could be affected by administrative lapses. "If someone like him, an advocate capable of defending his rights, can face uncertainty, what about ordinary citizens?" he asked.

Haasan further questioned the notion that citizens might need political backing to safeguard their voting rights. He argued that advising people to align with political parties merely to protect their right to vote is unhealthy for a democracy, and posed a rhetorical question: Which party should the common citizen join - the BJP, Congress, DMK, AIADMK, Aam Aadmi Party, or any other? He clarified that he would not exploit the situation to promote his own party, stating that his "democratic conscience" prevents him from doing so.

The issue has intensified political reactions in Tamil Nadu. 

The ruling DMK, an ally of Kamal Haasan's MNM, has come out strongly against the SIR exercise and has approached the courts, alleging irregularities in the voter revision process.

At the national level, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has termed the controversy "vote chori" - or theft of votes - accusing authorities of undermining electoral fairness.

However, the BJP and the Election Commission have rejected these allegations, asserting that only the names of deceased voters, duplicate entries, and individuals who have migrated are being removed. They have described the process as a necessary "purification" to improve the accuracy and credibility of electoral rolls.

In his address, Kamal Haasan called for peaceful, constitutional protest and urged lawmakers to treat the issue as an imminent and dangerous threat to democracy. He emphasised that elected representatives are entrusted with defending citizens' rights within the country and that the Constitution remains their sole weapon. 

"Deliberation alone will not suffice," Haasan said, urging swift and transparent action to ensure that no eligible Indian is denied the fundamental right to vote.