Mumbai Citizens Protest SIR In Goregaon, Seek Restoration Of Eligible Voters & CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Resignation

On a Thursday evening in Goregaon, a group of approximately 120 citizens gathered to protest the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demand the resignation of Election Commissioner of India Gyanesh Kumar. The protesters, representing Samvidhan Jagar Yatra Samiti, Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS), and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, called for the restoration of names allegedly removed from the rolls and an inquiry into allegations of illegal deletions through Form 7.

Arvind Nigale, a member of the Goregaon unit of Samvidhan Jagar Yatra Samiti, expressed skepticism over the government's assertion that deleted names comprised only deceased persons and those who had relocated. Nigale noted that there was no evidence to support the claim that all deleted names belonged to eligible voters, and highlighted that voters who had cast their ballots multiple times in prior elections had found their names removed from the rolls.

The protesters also questioned the involvement of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in the collection of Form 7, which is utilized for requesting the deletion of a voter's name from the electoral roll. Alex Dsouza, vice-president of BCS, alleged that third parties were filling out Form 7 for deletion of names, suggesting that fraudulent activities may be at play.

Dolphy Dsouza, spokesperson for BCS, claimed that more than 20 million names had been deleted during the SIR exercise in Maharashtra through "opaque methods." He stated that many citizens had been issued notices and required to verify their documentation. In response to the government's assertion that eligible voters could seek redressal, Nigale questioned how many voters would actually approach authorities, pointing to recent elections in West Bengal where voting continued well past the closing time.