CPI(M) for NRC finalisation before special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Assam

Guwahati, Aug 25 (PTI) The Assam unit of the CPI(M) on Monday said that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) must be finalised in the state before any special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is undertaken here.

It also opposed the state cabinet’s decision to suspend Aadhaar card enrolment for those above 18 years from October, maintaining that the chief minister’s claim that halting the process would prevent foreigners from gaining citizenship was baseless.

Referring to the SIR in Bihar, the party said such an exercise in Assam will not produce an accurate voters’ list and that many genuine electors risk exclusion.

“In Bihar, due to the Election Commission’s biased and partisan role, around 65 lakh names were arbitrarily deleted from the draft list of roughly 8 crores voters… Migrant workers, minorities, dalits, backward classes, and women have been disproportionately affected.

“Even the Supreme Court has intervened, directing the Commission to ensure transparency and inclusion of all eligible citizens,” CPI(M) state secretary Suprakash Talukdar said in a statement.

Questioning the delay in notifying the updated National Register of Citizens even though the final draft was published on August 31, 2019, it said a complete NRC, inclusive of all genuine citizens, is essential for a permanent solution to the citizenship issue in Assam, and a reliable basis to detect and expel illegal immigrants.

“Instead, the BJP has complicated matters further with the communal and unconstitutional Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Starting SIR in Assam without first finalising NRC will make a flawless electoral roll impossible,” the party claimed.

Noting that citizenship is a highly sensitive issue in Assam, the CPI(M) accused the state government of spreading communal hatred by branding a section of religious minorities as “doubtful citizens”.

“Additionally, poor and marginalised groups often lack required documents, and many local youths are migrant workers outside the state, making their names vulnerable to deletion. Hence, the CPI(M) demands that electoral roll revision begin only after NRC finalisation,” the statement said.

“Aadhaar is an ongoing national process and not proof of citizenship, as clarified by the UIDAI, the central government, and even the Supreme Court. The chief minister’s claim that halting Aadhaar enrolment will prevent foreigners from gaining citizenship is baseless,” it asserted.

The CPI(M) claimed the CM’s statement that Assam has 103 per cent Aadhaar coverage is misleading, and said as per the UIDAI report (July 31, 2025), about 95 per cent of Assam’s estimated population has Aadhaar cards.

“… Around 10-12 lakh adults still do not have Aadhaar. Most of them are poor, illiterate, and socially disadvantaged. Denying them even the right to apply is grossly unjust. The CPI(M) demands immediate withdrawal of this decision,” the statement added. PTI SSG RBT