Strong Appeal Against Alleged SR Irregularities in Assam, Religious And Social Bodies Warn Of Statewide Protest

Several religious and social organisations from Assam on Thursday (January 29) issued a strong appeal to the government, alleging large-scale irregularities in the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in the state. The organisations warned that if their demands are not addressed, a larger democratic movement would be launched across the state.In a joint press release signed on Thursday, by Amir-e-Shariat, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Emanat-e-Shariyat, among others, raised serious concerns over what they termed as arbitrary deletions, harassment of voters, and misuse of the SR process. They demanded that legally valid objections against genuine voters must not be cancelled without prior notice and that strict legal action be taken against individuals allegedly filing false or illegal objections.

The organisations also demanded adequate time for hearings related to the draft electoral rolls and stressed that, as per Clause 10.2.8(4) of the Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2023, voter names must not be deleted based solely on collected information. They further sought sufficient time for affected voters to apply for correction or transfer through prescribed forms.

Referring to the NRC, the signatories stated that the names of citizens included in the final NRC published on August 31, 2019, must not be deleted from the electoral rolls. In the case of those excluded from the NRC, they demanded that voter names should not be removed until all legal procedures related to citizenship are fully completed, urging all government departments and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to strictly adhere to this.

The release alleged that attempts were being made to turn the SR process into a “farce” and expressed strong objection to what it described as derogatory remarks by constitutional authorities targeting a particular section of citizens. “Holding a constitutional position, such statements should be avoided,” the organisations stated, adding that such comments had left them “ashamed and deeply hurt.”
In a strongly worded statement, the groups alleged, “SR is a conspiracy to harass a section of voters in Assam. When protests unfolded, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma allegedly stated in public that it was happening under his direction to cut Miya votes. Such comments are a gross disrespect to the Constitution of India and are anti-democratic. They further alleged that BLOs were being directed to delete 80 to 100 voters per polling centre “without solid grounds,” causing unnecessary harassment.

The organisations also claimed that the alleged actions were politically motivated ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, asserting that people of Assam would not remain silent. “This is a dirty game being played, but the people of Assam are not foolish,” the statement read.

Calling the situation “inhuman,” the signatories warned of joining protests through democratic means and pursuing legal steps if their demands are ignored.
The press release was signed by religious leaders, including Md Yousuf Ali, Amir-e-Shariat, East India; Ataur Rahman Mazarbhuiya, former MLA and member of Emanat-e-Shariyat; and Nurul Islam Mazarbhuiya of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, who is also a member of the Ameer-e-Shariat.