India on Thursday termed US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s remarks questioning the Election Commission’s revision of electoral rolls as “unacceptable.”
“The remarks by @RepJayapal on India’s electoral and political processes are unacceptable interference in India’s internal affairs,” India’s ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra said in a post on X.
On Wednesday, Jayapal voiced concern over the “purge” of 130 million voter names from the draft electoral rolls in India.
“India is a vibrant democracy, with robust, independent constitutional institutions and a longstanding record of free and fair elections,” Kwatra said.
The Indian ambassador said he was always open to constructive conversation with the Congresswoman to dispel her misconceptions.
The Democratic Congresswoman from Washington state had also said she supported the non-violent protests to counter "anti-democratic efforts in India.
Jayapal said the developments in India appear to be a similar playbook to what the Trump Administration is doing in the US to undermine voting rights in a democracy.
She said protecting democracies everywhere is essential work, and the Indian people -- like the American people -- deserve free and fair elections.
“Non-violent resistance movements are essential in these moments, and I stand with the Indian people who are engaging in non-violent protests to counter anti-democratic efforts in India,” Jayapal said.
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According to statistics shared by the Election Commission of India, around 7.2 crore names were deleted from the draft rolls in the first and second phases when the SIR was held in 13 states and union territories.
During the ongoing third phase, where draft lists of 18 States and Union Territories are published, the number of deleted voters stands at 6.16 crore.
The Election Commission maintains that the exercise is intended to update electoral rolls by identifying deceased, duplicate, shifted and otherwise ineligible entries.
The Commission has said that if a genuine voter's name was inadvertently left out during the SIR process, the voter could seek inclusion through the claims and objections process and subsequently through Form 6.