Chirag Paswan calls on Election Commission to maintain public trust amid SIR controversy

Union minister Chirag Paswan has urged the Election Commission of India to take a firm stand and preserve public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process, as criticism from opposition parties over the handling of the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls continues to mount.

Opposition voices have grown sharper in recent days, with the Citizens for Justice and Peace threatening nationwide protests beginning in Mumbai on 2 October if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign. Abhijeet Dipke, who issued the ultimatum, also questioned why opposition parties continued to contest elections they described as rigged, suggesting fear of political irrelevance may be a factor.

Telangana Congress added to the pressure by announcing state-wide protests on 28 September, with the party's state president demanding that the Election Commission publish constituency-wise and state-wise breakdowns of names removed from draft electoral rolls during the revision process, along with the reasons for deletions and the number of objections received.

Amid the row, the Election Commission postponed two outreach events that had been scheduled for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Uttar Pradesh. The events, which were to involve engagement with young voters in Meerut and Varanasi, were cancelled, though the commission stated the postponements were unrelated to the ongoing controversy.