Ponnam asks BJP to reveal foreign nationals number identified in SIR

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Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar demanded that the Centre disclose how many foreign nationals had been identified and deported following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Reacting to Mr. Shah’s remarks, Mr. Ponnam questioned the BJP’s campaign against the Congress on the issue of illegal immigrants and voting rights. He said the Congress was opposed to foreigners being allowed to vote. However, he asked why such people had been able to secure voting rights when Mr. Shah himself was heading the Union Home Ministry.

Mr. Ponnam said the Congress was questioning the deletion of eligible voters but there is no answer from the BJP on that. He challenged the Centre to hold a debate on the SIR exercise during the next session of Parliament and provide evidence to support its claims.

He also alleged that forms seeking deletion of voters’ names were being distributed from BJP and RSS offices, and questioned the Home Minister’s silence on the issue.

Mr. Ponnam said the Congress was fighting under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi to protect democracy and oppose what it described as the authoritarian approach of the BJP-led government.

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