Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday, accusing it of attempting to implement the National Register for Citizens (NRC) under the cover of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Addressing a large gathering of party workers at the SP headquarters in Lucknow for New Year greetings, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister asserted that the BJP's fundamental character is "anti-democracy."
NRC by Stealth: The SIR Controversy
Akhilesh Yadav alleged that while the Union Home Ministry is the rightful authority for the NRC, the BJP is orchestrating it through the Election Commission in the name of SIR. He framed this as a deliberate strategy to undermine democratic principles. "BJP's fundamental character is anti-democracy. It represents negative ideas and does not believe in the Constitution of India and the democratic set-up," Yadav told the assembled cadre.
A Pattern of Keeping People 'Busy'
The SP chief elaborated on what he sees as a consistent pattern by the central government. He claimed the BJP aims to keep citizens entangled in bureaucratic processes to divert attention from governance failures. "They always want to keep people in trouble and busy so that no one talks about government failures," he stated.
Yadav drew a timeline of such moves, starting with demonetisation in 2016, which he said forced long queues outside banks. This was followed by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, which, with its frequent changes, kept traders and the business community preoccupied. "Now they have come up with SIR," he added. Questioning the government's intent, he asked, "If the BJP was so particular about reforms, why did it not get the census and the caste census done?"
Call to Action: Protect Genuine Voters
Shifting from criticism to a direct instruction for his party, Akhilesh Yadav tasked his workers with a crucial mission. He asked cadre and party functionaries to ensure that the names of common, bona fide voters are retained in the electoral rolls during the SIR process.
He revealed that the party has submitted numerous detailed memorandums to the Election Commission of India (ECI) highlighting anomalies in the SIR exercise, but their concerns remain unaddressed. "Now we have to make sure that names of genuine voters are not struck off in the name of SIR," Yadav emphasized, framing it as a grassroots democratic duty.
The event, marked by the presence of a significant number of supporters, set the tone for the Samajwadi Party's political strategy as it positions itself against the BJP's policies on citizenship and electoral integrity ahead of future electoral battles.
