Voter deletion row: Sanju Verma defends EC, slams opposition over SIR protests

A debate unfolded over protests surrounding the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, amid allegations of voter deletions. BJP National Spokesperson Sanju Verma defended the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, countering allegations regarding the deletion of 13 crore voters. Sanju Verma maintained that the deletions comprised deceased, absentee, shifted, and duplicate entries, asserting, "allegations, assumptions, conjectures, guesstimates cannot be a substitute for credible proof." She questioned opposition objections to removing fake voters, pointing to past remarks by Congress leaders in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. CJP spokesperson Vijay Reddy contended that the SIR exercise removes authority from booth-level officers and relies on flawed software generating mass deletions. The discussion also addressed the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site, with Sanju Verma affirming police prerogatives while Reddy described widespread public opposition against the administration.