Vijay slams EC's vote roll revision, calls DMK's all-party meet 'political theatre'

Chennai, Nov 2 (IANS) Boycotting the all-party meeting convened by the ruling DMK on Sunday to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) President Vijay launched a scathing attack on both the Election Commission and the State government, alleging that the ongoing exercise was “unconstitutional, politically motivated, and a threat to democracy.”

In a strongly worded statement, Vijay said the SIR could lead to mass voter deletions similar to what was witnessed in Bihar, where “lakhs of minority voters were reportedly struck off” during a similar revision. He said the EC’s move lacked transparency and fairness, questioning the feasibility of verifying over 6.36 crore voters in Tamil Nadu within just 30 days.

“Such a rushed process undermines the basic democratic rights of the people,” he said. The TVK chief accused the DMK of “stage-managing an all-party meeting” to distract the public from its corruption controversies rather than taking a principled stand against the EC’s decision.

“When Kerala’s Assembly passed a resolution against the SIR, why has the DMK not done the same if it truly opposes it?” he asked, calling the meeting “a deceptive political theatre designed to mislead the public.”

Vijay also outlined seven key recommendations for ensuring a fair and transparent voter list revision. These include correcting genuine errors, deleting fake entries, ensuring inclusion of all eligible voters, accepting Aadhaar as valid proof of identity and age, and making final rolls digitally accessible to political parties and citizens alike.

He urged the EC to involve local representatives and independent observers to prevent large-scale manipulation during the process. Reaffirming his party’s commitment to protect people’s democratic rights, Vijay announced that the TVK would launch state-wide awareness campaigns and monitor camps to ensure no genuine voter is removed.

“TVK stands firmly with the people — for democracy, for rights, and for justice,” he said.

Vijay’s boycott and sharp criticism come amid growing opposition from several political parties in Tamil Nadu against the SIR, which they claim could be misused ahead of the Assembly elections.

--IANS

aal/uk