Limited Relief, Lingering Fear:
Mohammad Shafi Calls for Stronger Judicial Oversight to Protect Voter Rights

Mohammad Shafi, National Acting President of the Social Democratic Party of India, has expressed deep concern over the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal. While the Court granted a limited one-week extension for the scrutiny of claims and objections and clarified that only Electoral Registration Officers are empowered to take final decisions regarding inclusion or deletion of names, its firm direction that the SIR process must proceed without impediment does not adequately safeguard the rights of genuine voters.

The party is particularly alarmed by the disproportionate impact of this exercise on Muslim minority communities. In districts with significant Muslim populations, including Murshidabad, Malda, and parts of North 24 Parganas, an unusually high number of voters have reportedly been flagged for so-called logical discrepancies. Many of these discrepancies stem from minor and culturally common variations such as spelling differences in names, changes in surnames after marriage, variations in patronymics, or family structures that do not conform to rigid database assumptions. Reliance on software-driven verification criteria that overlook social and cultural realities risks the mass disenfranchisement of lakhs of legitimate citizens, especially the poor, women, migrants, and elderly persons who may find it difficult to produce documents or attend hearings within tight deadlines.

The Social Democratic Party of India has consistently cautioned that the SIR exercise resembles a backdoor attempt to implement a National Register of Citizens, selectively intensified in opposition-ruled states like West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Such measures threaten to dilute minority voting strength and undermine the constitutional guarantee of universal adult suffrage under Article 326. The limited relief offered so far fails to address the widespread fear and uncertainty prevailing among vulnerable communities.

The party therefore calls for stronger judicial oversight, mandatory acceptance of commonly held identity documents such as Aadhaar and ration cards as valid standalone proof, and the adoption of an inclusive framework that prioritizes voter inclusion rather than deletion. Democracy can endure only when every citizen’s voice is protected, and the party reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with affected communities while urging immediate corrective action to ensure free and fair elections.