SIR: Congress accuses BJP of misusing Form-7 during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

The party has demanded that the process related to suspicious cases be halted immediately and an independent investigation be conducted.Form-7 is the official application form used to object to the inclusion of a person's name in the voter list or to request the removal of a name already listed.Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, claiming that eligible voters are being wrongly removed through the misuse of Form-7.

He stated that full data related to Form-7 should be made public.In the letter, Venugopal highlighted a "extremely serious and concerning issue" related to the wrongful removal of eligible voters' names during the claims and objections phase of the Special Intensive Revision.

He alleged that individuals linked to the BJP are misusing Form-7 to delete eligible voters' names, based on media reports and party workers' findings.He expressed deep concern that if these actions are not stopped and the Commission does not take notice, it would embolden the BJP to gain unfair electoral advantage, potentially disenfranchising lakhs of voters—especially from backward and marginalized communities.

Venugopal noted that the responsibility to provide proof lies with the person filing Form-7, and false information is punishable under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. However, he described the ground-level activities as shocking and requiring immediate intervention.

He further claimed that a large number of "pre-printed" Form-7 applications are being prepared through a centralized system. These are allegedly being used in an organized manner to target Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, and senior citizens over 60 years old, with forms being submitted in bulk to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across constituencies.

According to him, these forms often lack required details about the objector's identity. In many cases, people whose names were used to file Form-7 have publicly denied submitting them. He said this misuse is clearly visible in states like Rajasthan and Assam.

BLOs and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) be instructed not to delete any names without personal verification.

Individuals/organizations misusing Form-7 be identified and action taken against them.

An immediate and independent investigation into the entire matter be conducted.

He also urged the Commission to publicly release complete data related to Form-7 in the 12 states.

Venugopal emphasized that the right to vote is the soul of democracy, and any organized effort to deprive citizens of it is unconstitutional. He appealed to the Commission to treat the issue with utmost seriousness and take immediate necessary steps.It is noteworthy that allegations of BJP misusing Form-7 during SIR have been recurring. The most prominent cases have surfaced in West Bengal and Assam, where BJP-linked individuals are accused of such misuse.

 In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has openly appeared to acknowledge this to some extent. Recently, he reportedly stated something along the lines of: “This is not something to hide—we are against the Miyas. Yes, we are stealing their votes. Yes, it is our national duty to fill Form-7 and submit it to the Election Commission to remove their names from the voter list. I have openly told BJP workers to do this work; we want to deprive them of voting rights... Let them go and vote in Bangladesh...”

 However, on January 28, he clarified that he is not against Muslims but against Bangladeshis.