Political Row Erupts in Gujarat Over Attempt to Remove Padma Shri Rathod from Voter List
Padma Shri awardee Shahabuddin Rathod's voter name targeted for deletion via misused Form 7 in Gujarat's SIR process.
A political controversy has erupted in Gujarat after Padma Shri awardee and celebrated Gujarati comedian Shahabuddin Rathod’s name was reportedly removed from the voter list. Rathod confirmed to local media that he had not submitted any form for deletion and immediately contacted the administration to rectify the matter.
Rathod said that the Mamlatdar assured him that his voter registration would not be cancelled solely based on a Form No. 7 submitted by someone else. “Even if someone fills the form in my name, my registration cannot be cancelled without proper verification,” he stated.
The Congress has criticized the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that it is being misused for selective voter deletion across the state. Party leaders claimed that many elderly citizens, especially those above 60, have documents showing applications for cancellation they did not submit themselves, pointing to potential manipulation of Form No. 7.
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the process as a “direct assault on democracy,” alleging that voters from specific communities and constituencies traditionally supporting the opposition were targeted. “Wherever the BJP fears defeat, voters are simply erased from the system,” he stated, warning of large-scale electoral manipulation.
Former Congress MLA Ritwik Makwana called the episode a deliberate threat to the electoral process, emphasizing that if the voting rights of a prominent figure like Rathod are at risk, ordinary citizens could face similar vulnerabilities. He urged voters to immediately verify their names on the electoral rolls to safeguard their rights.
The state Congress also linked the incident to earlier warnings about misuse of Form No. 7. State president Amit Chavda claimed that the BJP was attempting to cancel the names of nearly 10 lakh voters, calling it a systematic effort to alter the voter base and influence elections in Gujarat.
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