HT Correspondent
GOALPARA, Feb 1: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday urged citizens who receive notices during the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls to appear before authorities without creating a fuss. Speaking on the sidelines of a government programme in Goalpara district, he said he would also present his credentials if any complaint is filed against him via Form 7.
Opposition parties allege the SR is being used to harass genuine voters, mainly religious minorities, through Form 7 complaints. Sarma emphasised that the SR is a constitutional process: “If notice is served, one can go and say they are Indians. The issue ends there.”
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He criticised those publicising notices, saying they should have cleared their names quietly. Form 7 allows deletion of one’s name for reasons like permanently shifted, already enrolled, or not an Indian citizen, while voters can request deletion of others’ names for death, underage, absent/shifted, already enrolled, or not Indian. Sarma noted that only Bengali-speaking Muslims, called ‘Miyas,’ are reportedly targeted to “keep them under pressure.” He added that more than 5 lakh complaints have been filed by BJP workers during the SR process against alleged “foreigners.”
