Rahul Gandhi tweets strong criticism of the SIR voter verification process, alleging extreme pressure on BLOs and poor accessibility for voters. Concerns raised over transparency and digital readiness.

In a sharp public statement posted on social media, Rahul Gandhi has criticised the ongoing Systematic Information Revision (SIR) process, alleging that it has led to disorder rather than electoral reform. He claimed that 16 booth-level officers (BLOs) lost their lives within three weeks due to stress, heart attacks and related causes, calling the process “an imposed tyranny.”

According to Gandhi’s post, the Election Commission has designed a system where citizens must sift through scanned pages of a 22-year-old voter list to confirm their details, which he believes is deliberately discouraging. He suggested that this complexity makes genuine voters give up, while enabling continued manipulation of voter data.

He further questioned why, despite India’s expertise in advanced software solutions, the voter verification process remains dependent on paper-based documentation instead of a digital and searchable system. Gandhi argued that if transparency was the goal, the ECI would have allowed sufficient time to ensure accuracy rather than rushing the process in 30 days.

Calling SIR a “calculated ploy,” he stated that citizens are being harassed and deaths of BLOs are treated as ‘collateral damage’, adding that it is “not a failure, but a conspiracy” that undermines democracy.

Rahul Gandhi’s remarks reflect broader concerns about the burden on field officials and potential disenfranchisement of voters. Digitisation and phased implementation could help reduce errors and pressure, while ensuring ease of access. If unaddressed, the controversy may deepen mistrust ahead of elections.