Shabbir Ali challenges Amit Shah’s infiltrator claim, seeks proof of voter deletions
Hyderabad: Telangana Government Advisor and senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Tuesday challenged Amit Shah’s infiltrator claim involving nearly three crore people allegedly identified during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He demanded documentary evidence and questioned the reported deletion or exclusion of another 10 crore voter names.
Shabbir Ali also held the BJP-led Central Government accountable for border security after more than 12 years of control over the Union Home Ministry. The Congress leader demanded an independent examination of electoral roll deletions and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks, Shabbir Ali questioned how authorities had identified the alleged infiltrators, reportedly mostly Bangladeshis. He sought details of the supporting evidence and any action authorities had taken against them.
“If Amit Shah claims that three crore infiltrators were found on India’s electoral rolls, let him produce the evidence. Who are these people? How did they enter India, obtain identity documents and register themselves as voters? These questions cannot be answered through political speeches,” he said.
Shabbir Ali questions Amit Shah’s infiltrator claim
Shabbir Ali said the BJP had controlled the Union Home Ministry continuously since May 2014. Rajnath Singh headed the ministry between 2014 and 2019, while Amit Shah assumed charge in May 2019.
According to the Congress leader, the Centre could not avoid responsibility for border management, intelligence operations and internal security after governing for over 12 years.
“If these infiltrators entered during the BJP’s tenure, it represents a massive failure of the Centre’s security arrangements. If they entered before 2014, why were they not identified despite 12 years of BJP rule? Rajnath Singh headed the ministry for five years and Amit Shah for over seven years. What were the intelligence agencies and border security forces doing all these years?” he asked.
The Congress leader also questioned whether the Home Ministry had conducted any separate investigation to establish the alleged presence of three crore infiltrators. He argued that Amit Shah’s infiltrator claim required supporting records rather than political statements.
Congress leader questions Election Commission’s SIR data
Shabbir Ali pointed to what he described as inconsistencies between Shah’s statements and the Election Commission’s earlier responses.
He recalled that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had not provided a specific figure for alleged infiltrators identified during Bihar’s SIR exercise. According to Shabbir Ali, journalists had repeatedly sought those details.
Furthermore, he cited a subsequent investigation which reportedly found that the Election Commission’s software lacked a provision to classify deleted voters as foreign nationals.
“When the Election Commission itself has not disclosed how many infiltrators were identified, on what basis is Amit Shah claiming that three crore infiltrators were removed? Has the Home Ministry conducted a separate investigation, or is the Home Minister presenting political allegations as established facts?” he asked.
The Congress leader maintained that authorities must establish the basis of any allegation involving foreign nationals on electoral rolls. He also referred to Rohingya refugees and alleged Bangladeshi infiltration while demanding a transparent Central Government policy.
According to him, anyone obtaining voting rights through forged documents should face legal action. However, he insisted that authorities must support such action with verifiable evidence.
Shabbir Ali further argued that the BJP could not claim success in strengthening national security while blaming opposition parties for alleged illegal immigration.
Shabbir Ali seeks details of 10 crore voter deletions
Shabbir Ali raised separate concerns about nearly 10 crore other names that authorities reportedly deleted or excluded during the electoral roll revision exercise.
He said BJP leaders had attributed these exclusions to deceased voters, people who had shifted residence and duplicate registrations. However, he questioned whether election officials had conducted adequate verification before removing the names.
“Even if we accept Amit Shah’s claim about three crore infiltrators for argument’s sake, what happened to the remaining 10 crore voters? How many were personally contacted? How many were wrongly declared dead or shifted? How many genuine voters lost their names because of administrative mistakes?” he asked.
The Congress leader referred to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations that election officials had wrongly classified living voters as deceased and removed their names. Consequently, he demanded an independent examination of disputed deletions to determine whether eligible citizens had lost their voting rights.
Shabbir Ali also sought booth-wise and constituency-wise information on the electoral roll revision process. He asked the Election Commission to disclose the reasons for deletions, verification methods, objections, corrections and pending appeals.
Additionally, he stressed that public disclosure should protect personal privacy while allowing affected citizens to verify their electoral status. Eligible voters must also have an effective opportunity to challenge wrongful exclusions and seek restoration of their names, he said.
“Removing duplicate entries and deleting genuine voters are entirely different matters. Electoral rolls must be accurate, but accuracy cannot become an excuse for disenfranchisement. Every eligible citizen has a democratic right to vote,” he said.
Congress demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation
Shabbir Ali questioned Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s response to opposition allegations of “vote chori”.
The Congress leader demanded detailed public records addressing the allegations. He also sought a transparent, time-bound mechanism to restore names that election officials had wrongly deleted.
Furthermore, Shabbir Ali criticised Amit Shah for responding politically to questions concerning electoral administration.
“Instead of conducting padayatras and delivering political speeches, Amit Shah should discharge his responsibility as Home Minister. He should stop acting like a spokesperson for the CEC. Let Gyanesh Kumar face the people and answer every allegation with documentary evidence. The country deserves to know whether genuine voters were denied their rights,” he said.
Reiterating the Congress demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, Shabbir Ali called for an independent review of the disputed electoral roll revisions. He maintained that complete transparency and a credible examination of voter deletions were necessary to restore public confidence.
Shabbir Ali links BJP response to INDIA bloc rally
Referring to Sunday’s INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, Shabbir Ali claimed the opposition’s campaign had unsettled the BJP leadership. According to him, subsequent political mobilisation by Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin and other party leaders reflected the impact of Rahul Gandhi’s campaign.
“The BJP is responding to Ramlila Maidan with counter-rallies and accusations. But political mobilisation cannot substitute for accountability. Rahul Gandhi has raised serious questions about electoral integrity. The BJP and Election Commission must respond with evidence, not slogans,” he said.
Shabbir Ali maintained that the controversy required documentary clarification from both the Union Home Ministry and the Election Commission. He reiterated that Amit Shah’s infiltrator claim must have credible supporting evidence. The Congress leader also demanded an explanation of the remaining 10 crore reported voter exclusions.
“Democracy is protected by evidence and accountability, not selective statistics. Amit Shah must prove his allegation about three crore infiltrators and explain the remaining 10 crore names. The BJP has controlled the Home Ministry for over 12 years and cannot escape responsibility. If Amit Shah cannot produce credible evidence, he should stop making unsubstantiated claims and let the Election Commission answer the nation with facts,” Shabbir Ali said.