Telangana: BJP alleges ‘systematic deletion’ of North Indians from Hyderabad voter list

Hyderabad, July 7 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Telangana unit has alleged “systematic deletion” of voters from North India in Hyderabad and has sought the intervention of the State Chief Electoral Officer.

Raising serious concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral rolls in Hyderabad, the BJP alleged that the ruling Congress party and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) have colluded to “systematically” remove the names of Hindi-speaking residents and those of North Indian origin from voter lists.

A BJP delegation, led by State President N. Ramchandra Rao, submitted a formal complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Tuesday, seeking immediate intervention to ensure fair representation for migrant populations settled in the capital city.

Rao told IANS after the meeting with the CEO that the state government is weaponising Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to disenfranchise specific communities.

Rao alleged that the Congress government and MIM are attempting to strike names of North Indian origin voters from the rolls because they perceive them as BJP supporters. He said they are actively preventing BLOs from visiting areas where these populations reside, as the election machinery is effectively functioning under the control of the state government.

Rao further underscored the practical barriers faced by non-Telugu-speaking residents in the city. He said they have demanded that BLOs must visit every household without exception. Furthermore, they insisted that all election forms, currently available only in Telugu, be printed in English as well, so that citizens can understand the documents they are signing.

The BJP delegation also raised alarm regarding national security and demographic concerns within the electoral process.

Rao stated that they have urged the authorities to conduct a thorough verification to ensure that the names of illegal immigrants, including those residing in Rohingya and Bangladeshi camps in Hyderabad, are identified and purged from the voter lists.

Responding to queries regarding political rhetoric surrounding national identification policies, Rao categorically defended the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Addressing the scepticism often voiced by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Rao remarked that the NRC will definitely be implemented, adding that it is the National Register of Citizens and is already a procedural necessity.

Regarding the CAA, Rao clarified that the Act will be implemented and those who are refugees and have applied for citizenship in accordance with established rules and requirements should, and will, be granted their rights.

–IANS

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