ISLAMABAD: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has declared a continued "war" against illegal immigrants, following the removal of 0.24 million names from the state's voter rolls.
In the Indian state of Assam, the Election Commission's special revision of voter rolls has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of voters, according to an Indian media report.
The final list, published on Feb. 8, shows a drop of 0.243 million voters, leaving a total of 24.9 million voters across the state's 126 assembly constituencies.
Over the past months, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has come under opposition criticism for the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a voters' verification exercise, across multiple states, which it claims has targeted minorities.
According to an Indian media report, the revised list in Assam comes after the filing of claims and objections and marks the end of the Special Revision 2026, which falls between the Special Intensive Revision and the Special Summary Revision exercises.
As per another Indian media report, on BJP complaints against “doubtful voters” during Special Revision in the state of Assam, Assam chief minister Sarma said, "The war against illegal Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh will continue. Lakhs of 'doubtful voters' have been deleted."
Sarma has said that the SIR will be conducted in Bihar after the assembly elections to the 126-member House, which are likely to be held in March-April.
‘Call to mass violence and genocide’
On Feb. 7, in a separate political development, the ruling BJP's official Assam Pradesh Twitter handle stirred controversy with a video that allegedly glorifies the murder of minorities.
The video, which appeared to feature Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, sparked outrage from opposition parties.
The Congress condemned the video, calling it a "call to mass violence and genocide," and accused the BJP regime of promoting hatred for over a decade.
Congress demanded strict judicial action against those responsible for spreading social hostility.
Outrage and protest
Similarly, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) joined the protests, expressing outrage over the video, which shows Sarma firing a gun at the minority Muslim community.
The CPI-M staged a protest at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, calling for accountability from both the BJP and the judiciary.
Both the Congress and CPI-M emphasized the severity of the situation, demanding immediate action to prevent further incitement to violence and ensure social harmony in the state.
SIR in West Bengal
Last month, Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen raised serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, calling the exercise hurried, unjust to voters, and potentially damaging to democratic participation as the state heads toward assembly elections in the coming months.
He said that, though he was not an election expert, others had told him the BJP might benefit from undercounting.
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