Rahul Gandhi accuses EC of removing names of OBC, Dalit and Marginalised voters from electoral rolls

 In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote in Hindi that BLOs were being warned: “Cut the names of OBC voters or you will lose your job.” He linked these alleged threats to the suicide of Vipin Yadav, a BLO from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh. According to the Congress, Yadav had been told that failure to delete OBC names would result in dismissal and even police action.

 The party said Yadav’s death reflected the coercive environment in which BLOs were being asked to work. It claimed that at least 16 BLOs had died in 19 days across different states, either by suicide or sudden health complications, allegedly linked to the intense pressure of the SIR process.

 In Rajasthan, state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra also accused authorities of deleting significant numbers of voters in nearly every Assembly constituency. He alleged that 20,000 to 25,000 names were being struck off in each segment, particularly in areas where the party enjoys strong support.

 The Congress said these developments raised serious concerns about the impartiality of the electoral roll revision and called for immediate intervention by the Election Commission of India to ensure transparency, accountability and protection for BLOs working under the programme.