Lucknow: Amid protests against SIR, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said identifying ineligible names illegally included in the voter list and removing them is essential for India's security and unity.
While noting that India has been a guardian of democratic values for centuries, Adityanath asserted that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise was an important effort to further strengthen the country's democratic heritage.
"Identifying ineligible names illegally included in the voter list and removing them as per rules is essential for India's security, unity and integrity," he said in a post on X.
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The chief minister said verification of entries relating to deceased persons, those who had permanently shifted and duplicate entries was necessary.
He also appealed to all those who have attained the age of 18 to get their name included in the voter list.
"Let us participate in building a clean, strong and transparent voter list," Adityanath said.
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His remarks come amid demands by Opposition parties, student organisations and civil society groups for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over the SIR exercise, alleging that it has resulted in large-scale deletion of eligible voters.
The Election Commission has rejected the allegations of wrongdoing and maintained that the electoral-roll revision is being carried out according to established procedures.
