- Tamil Nadu CM Stalin has warned that mistakes in Summary Revision forms may remove voters from rolls
- He has pointed out that people and booth-level officers face confusion during the ongoing SIR exercise
- He has accused the BJP of planning misuse of agencies to target the DMK ahead of elections
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin has cautioned people to be extremely careful while filling out the forms for Summary Revision of Electoral Roll, warning that even a small mistake could result in their names being removed from voters' list.
Chairing the DMK District Secretaries' meeting in Chennai, which was attended by constituency observers, MLAs, and MPs, Stalin reviewed the ground-level challenges being faced during the ongoing SIR exercise.
Expressing concern, Stalin said many members of the public are unaware of the process. Even Booth Level Officers (BLOs) appear confused, he added.
The DMK chief also took a swipe at the BJP government, alleging that the party is planning several strategies to stop DMK from returning to power.
"The BJP is getting ready to misuse the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and Election Commission against us. Let them come - we are ready to face them. The ground is ours," Stalin asserted.
Stalin clarified that the DMK is not opposing the SIR process, but warned that rushing it could lead to confusion and the removal of genuine voters.
"A fair and accurate voters' list is essential for a fair election. We are not against the revision, but it shouldn't be done hastily, especially just months before elections," he added.
Pointing out the lack of clarity in the enumeration form, Stalin said even educated people could get confused.
"In the form, the ECI asks for the name of a relative - but who is considered a relative? Father, mother, sibling, husband, or wife? There's no clarity. Even a small error could lead to deletion from the list. It's actually scary," Stalin said.
AIADMK General Secretary and Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, meanwhile, backed the SIR process, calling it essential to remove fake and duplicate voters.
"DMK opposes SIR because they won local body elections with fake votes. During elections, even the dead come alive to vote. The SIR exercise is crucial to remove fake voters and include eligible ones," Palaniswami said.
