CHANDIGARH – The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday passed a voice-vote resolution against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann warning that systemic “vote-chori” (vote theft) poses a grave danger to Indian democracy.
Addressing the House during the motion, CM Mann accused the ruling BJP of manipulating voter lists under the guise of Election Commission procedures by systematically adding favorable votes while deleting opposition supporters. He asserted that the nation has reached a state where “a government once chosen by the people is now deciding who gets to vote.”
The resolution calls for the immediate scrapping of the SIR process, an impartial investigation into election roll irregularities, and strict legal action against responsible officials. Highlighting Punjab’s history of resisting high-handedness (Dhakkashahi), Mann urged all democratic forces to defend constitutional rights, warning against the emergence of an “elected dictatorship” that weakens the very institutions enabling fair elections.
