India, the world’s largest democracy, is facing a growing controversy following the removal of millions of names from electoral rolls, leaving many citizens without a voice ahead of pivotal state elections.
According to a CNN report, the purge has been particularly significant in West Bengal, where more than nine million names were struck off the list, sparking protests against the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar.
The removals come as the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks to gain ground in India’s south and east.
While the BJP maintains that the “clean-up” is essential for removing duplications and the names of the deceased, critics argue that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is advancing a majoritarian agenda to weaken the representation of the Muslim minority.
Veteran and constitutional heirs excluded
Among those stripped of their voting rights is 62-year-old Sadre Alam, a veteran of the 1999 war with Pakistan.
Despite possessing a thick binder of evidence – including land deeds from the 1920s and his army discharge certificate – officials cited a “logical discrepancy” regarding the 15-year age gap between him and his mother in the records.
“It feels strange to think my country is not mine today,” Alam told reporters at his home in West Bengal.
Similarly, 88-year-old Suprabuddha Sen, whose grandfather illustrated India’s first constitution, found his name missing without explanation. His wife, Deepa Sen, was also removed. Their names were only restored after a family appeal to the Indian Supreme Court.
However, Sen expressed concern for those without such resources, asking, “What about the people who don’t have those connections?”
Disproportionate impact on minorities
Data from the Sabar Institute, a public policy research group, indicates that of the names deleted in West Bengal, roughly 2.4 million were deceased, leaving approximately 6.7 million removals unexplained.
The research highlights a disproportionate impact on minority communities: 34 per cent of those removed are Muslims, despite the community making up only 27 per cent of the state’s population.
Sajid Rahman, a social activist with the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), described the purge as a “political gimmick,” alleging the ECI is working at the behest of the BJP government. The BJP denies any interference with the ECI.
Fears over citizenship
The voter roll controversy is intensified by rhetoric from the Home Minister, Amit Shah, who previously stated in parliament that “infiltrators” would be “detected, deleted, and deported.”
This has stoked fears that the loss of voting rights is a precursor to being stripped of Indian citizenship.
In the Murshidabad district, which borders Bangladesh, the anxiety is palpable. In Mathurapur village, a local official confirmed that 243 out of 800 voters have been deleted.
Noorfa Bibi, a resident whose name was removed, questioned the long-term implications, “Will they return our citizenship if it gets taken away or will we be stripped of it gradually?”
While the Indian Supreme Court has ruled that those struck off have the right to appeal, it has refused to delay the election timetable. As results are expected in early May, millions of Indians remain in a state of uncertainty regarding their rights and their place in the nation.
