Millions of voters, mainly Muslims, denied voting right in India ahead of critical election

Millions of voters, mainly Muslims, denied voting right in India ahead of critical election
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Millions of voters in India’s West Bengal state have been removed from the electoral roll ahead of a key state election, following a controversial voter list revision process known as Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

According to The Guardian, officials say the exercise is meant to remove duplicates and so-called “infiltrators,” but critics argue it has disproportionately targeted Muslims and other minorities.

Out of about 9.1 million deleted names (over 10% of the electorate), around 2.7 million people have challenged their removal but remain struck off, raising concerns about mass disenfranchisement just before voting begins. Opposition leaders, including West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, have condemned the process as unconstitutional and politically motivated.

The policy has been implemented under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Home Minister Amit Shah describing the effort as necessary to “purify” the electoral roll and prevent “infiltration.” Critics, however, say it amounts to voter suppression.

Experts and civil society groups report that Muslims have been disproportionately affected, with some constituencies losing nearly half their voters. Allegations include rushed implementation, flawed AI-based data checks, and errors related to naming inconsistencies in Bengali records.