Patna/Chennai: With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections expected later this year, actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan has launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India, raising serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of voter lists.
Speaking during the discussion on the President Droupadi Murmu’s address in Parliament, Haasan warned that the SIR exercise could become a major threat to democratic rights if not handled transparently and fairly. He alleged that the process is turning the right to vote into a matter of suspicion and unnecessary scrutiny.
“Voting Right is Being Put Under Investigation”
Kamal Haasan expressed deep concern that instead of ensuring maximum voter participation, the Election Commission is subjecting citizens to repeated verification, even for minor issues.
He said people are being questioned and checked over spelling errors, address mismatches, and documentation issues, which are often common and unintentional. According to him, such small discrepancies are being treated as grounds for disqualification, creating fear among voters.
Bihar Example: “Land of Living Dead”
Haasan referred to reports from Bihar, where SIR was conducted before the Assembly elections, claiming that many genuine voters were wrongly declared dead and removed from electoral rolls.
Calling it a “dangerous trend,” he said Bihar has reportedly become a “land of living dead,” where living citizens were shown as deceased on paper, effectively stripping them of their voting rights.
He warned that Tamil Nadu should not face the same situation, and insisted that the Election Commission must prevent such errors from spreading across the country.
Questions Raised on Election Commission’s Credibility
In one of his strongest remarks, Kamal Haasan accused the Election Commission of indirectly encouraging such mistakes, stating that it is facilitating the spread of this “Bihar-like disease.”
He described the SIR process as a “spell-check story of living dead,” arguing that democracy cannot survive if citizens are removed from voter lists due to clerical errors.
Fear of One Crore Voters Losing Rights in Tamil Nadu
Haasan further claimed that if the process continues unchecked, Tamil Nadu could soon see nearly one crore voters being declared “dead on paper,” even though they are alive.
He demanded that those whose names have been deleted must be immediately restored and allowed to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
Warning Ahead of Elections
Linking the issue to upcoming elections, Haasan stated that if the Election Commission refuses to correct such mistakes, the result will be nothing but an “incomplete, half-baked and illegitimate electoral victory.”
His statement is expected to intensify political debate ahead of the Tamil Nadu elections, especially on issues of voter verification, transparency, and electoral fairness.
Discover more from SD NEWS agency
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.