Sanjay Nirupam Welcomes Supreme Court Hearing on Maharashtras SIR Process
Sanjay Nirupam discusses the Supreme Courts review of Maharashtras SIR process and the implications for voter registration.
Mumbai, October 15 (Daily Kiran) : Sanjay Nirupam, spokesperson for the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), has responded to the ongoing Supreme Court hearings regarding the State Identification Register (SIR) process in Maharashtra. He also expressed support for the Madras High Court and Supreme Court decisions on reservation following religious conversion.
Nirupam welcomed the Supreme Court’s notice on petitions against the SIR process. He stated, “The SIR process has been successfully implemented in Maharashtra, but it has come to light that approximately 20.7 million voters were not mapped or listed during its first and second phases. This number appears significant.”
Analyzing the data, he noted, “Upon detailed examination, we found that around 3.7 million voters have passed away. Additionally, about 1.7 to 1.8 million voters are registered at multiple locations. Approximately 7 to 7.5 million voters have shifted addresses, leading to duplicate registrations. Many voters were also not home when Booth Level Officers visited their residences.”
Nirupam emphasized the importance of protecting genuine voters, stating, “We do not want any real voter’s name to be removed under the guise of the SIR process, nor do we want any official to act arbitrarily, preventing anyone from voting. We respect the Supreme Court’s petition, and we will accept whatever decision the court makes.”
On the topic of religious conversion and reservation, Nirupam remarked on the Supreme Court’s endorsement of the Madras High Court’s ruling. He pointed out that many individuals continue to benefit from reservations even after converting to different religions, which he believes is unjust.
He explained, “Many Hindus, particularly from backward classes or scheduled castes, are misled by churches or missionaries into converting to other religions. Despite this, they continue to claim benefits from India’s reservation system, arguing that since they were originally from the SC category, they remain SC even after converting to Islam or Christianity.”
Nirupam highlighted that the Madras High Court has rejected this notion, clarifying that if a person who was previously a backward caste Hindu converts to another religion, they no longer fall under any category for reservations.
