The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has triggered controversy in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh after allegations emerged that the names of hundreds of Muslim voters were removed without due process. The issue has sparked fear and resentment among minority communities and mirrors similar complaints reported earlier from Jaipur in Rajasthan and Etawah in Uttar Pradesh.
According to local residents, names of long-term Muslim residents were deleted from voter lists without prior notice or verification. Several affected voters gathered at the Rewa collectorate to submit complaints and demanded immediate corrective action. They alleged that Form 7, which is used for the deletion of names, was filled without their knowledge or consent.
Mohsin Ali, a resident of Gudh Panchayat, said many families have lived in the area for generations, but suddenly found their names missing from the voter list. He said the community feels targeted and discriminated against and wants a fair investigation and restoration of names.
Residents claim that around 500 names may have been deleted across several villages. According to complaints submitted to the administration, 46 names were removed from Gudh Panchayat, 73 from Barhadi, 125 from Raipur Karchulia, 62 from Ramnai and 33 from Jugnihai. People allege that no reasons were communicated and that they were only informed later by Booth Level Officers.
A group of complainants told the administration that this was not a clerical error but appeared to be deliberate harassment of a particular community. Many said they were shocked to learn that multiple Form 7 applications had allegedly been submitted in their names despite them never filing such requests.
Rewa District Collector Pratibha Pal confirmed that complaints have been received regarding discrepancies in Forms 6, 7 and 8. She said Phase one mapping under the SIR process has been completed, and objections were invited after publication of the draft electoral roll. She assured that all complaints are being reviewed and that any irregularities will be addressed strictly as per law. The collector added that the Election Registration Officer has been directed to investigate cases where multiple forms appear to have been submitted using the same name.
The controversy has intensified amid wider allegations of pressure and intimidation faced by Booth Level Officers in BJP-ruled states. In Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, BLO Ashwini Kumar alleged he was assaulted after refusing to remove Muslim voters’ names. He claimed individuals posing as BJP functionaries threatened his life and broke his mobile phone. A video of him recounting the incident has gone viral. Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway.
In Jaipur, BLO Kirti Kumar alleged he was pressured to remove the names of around 450 to 470 Muslim voters during the SIR process in the Hawa Mahal assembly constituency. In a viral video, he is seen emotionally stating that he cannot delete names without following due procedure. He also warned of extreme distress due to the pressure. BJP representatives later denied the allegations, claiming objections were raised against alleged fake voters.
