Union Home Minister Amit Shah passionately defended the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar on Friday, October 10, 2025, declaring that a pure voters’ list is the cornerstone of India’s democracy. Speaking at a media event in New Delhi, Shah emphasized the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) constitutional mandate to ensure only legitimate citizens vote, amid a heated row over the voter list cleanup ahead of the November 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

The SIR, recently completed, has sparked outrage from opposition parties like Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal, who claim it disproportionately removed names of minority and marginalized voters. Shah dismissed these accusations, arguing that allowing “infiltrators” on voter lists undermines the Constitution and threatens national security. “Voting rights belong solely to Indian citizens above 18,” he asserted, stressing that non-citizens must not influence the country’s leadership selection for free and fair elections.

Shah outlined the Modi government’s “3D policy” to tackle illegal immigration: detect, delete, and deport. He urged citizens to view the SIR as a matter of national integrity, not political maneuvering, and accused the opposition of obstructing the process to protect their vote banks. “This exercise happened even under Congress rule,” he shot back, challenging critics to take their grievances to court rather than politicizing the issue.

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Distinguishing between refugees and infiltrators, Shah clarified that refugees seek safety in India due to religious persecution, while infiltrators cross borders illegally for economic or other motives. “If we allow anyone to enter unchecked, India will become a dharamshala,” he warned, invoking the image of an overcrowded free inn. He also took a historical swipe, calling the 1947 Partition a “grave mistake” that divided the nation on religious lines, enabling foreign conspiracies and contributing to illegal immigration trends in border areas.

Shah’s remarks come as Bihar gears up for a high-stakes election, with the NDA banking on its recent seat-sharing deal to secure a commanding majority. The SIR controversy has intensified the campaign, framing the polls as a battle over citizenship, security, and electoral integrity. As voting nears, Shah’s fiery defense aims to rally voters around the BJP’s narrative, but it risks deepening divides in a state already polarized by caste and identity politics. With the ECI standing firm on the revision’s legality, the debate over who gets to vote could shape Bihar’s future in unpredictable ways.

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