BJP’s Dilip, Arjun back ECI’s impartial SIR drive
The Statesman | 30 October 2025Ghosh further emphasised that no genuine voter’s name will be deleted during the SIR, and those attempting to add false names to the rolls will face strict action. “No one can delete the name of a genuine voter, and anyone trying to include a duplicate voter will be arrested,” he warned. Clarifying misconceptions surrounding the revision, the BJP leader said that no foreign national could acquire Indian voting rights through the ongoing SIR. “No Bangladeshi or any other foreign citizen can become a voter. The state government must cooperate with the Election Commission in implementing this process. They have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution, and fulfilling this duty is part of that responsibility,” Ghosh said.
The former BJP MP from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh made an explosive claim, alleging that “around 400 Pakistanis” were residing illegally within his constituency. “In wards 16, 17, and 18 of Barrackpore, over 400 Pakistanis are living. All of them will be removed from the voter list during this SIR. No one — not even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — can save these illegal voters,” Singh told reporters. Defending the ECI’s drive, Singh clarified that the SIR process was not designed to arbitrarily remove voters but to ensure the elimination of fake, duplicate, or deceased entries.
“Those who are dead, those who have three voter IDs, or those who are citizens of Bangladesh — their names will be removed. Why should people from Kazakhstan or Bangladesh feature in our electoral rolls? The Election Commission of India has received data from the Bangladesh Election Commission showing such duplicate entries. If those names are deleted, how can they be considered legitimate voters?” Singh asked. Both leaders called upon the West Bengal government to extend full cooperation to ensure the SIR is completed smoothly and transparently ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
