Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan today expressed his concern about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
During a debate in the Uppoer House, the actor turned politician accused the commissions of denying voters of their right.
"I consider this moment an honour... I was introduced to my language by my Tamil teachers. One of them was a political leader, C.N. Annadurai... He taught us to confront any invasion on our language, our culture, and our rights... You may say I'm not qualified to speak on economics with my high school dropout status. Let it be so. Nevertheless. As an extramural student of whatever university you all hail from, I have an opinion as a Tamilian. MK Gandhi helped me write this speech without anger. Periyar helped me add logic. Anna helped me understand this building... My imminent concern is the forthcoming elections. I wrote it down thinking only of the impending present. I call it the spell-checked story of the living dead. We want to cast a vote, sir, and commissions are checking our right to vote. They are checking the spellings and addresses and that too erroneously. We just want to cast our vote," he said.
Haasan had earlier in January also alleged that people are facing inconvenience due to SIR process in Tamil Nadu. "It is a national inconvenience, shared by our sister states across the length and breadth of our motherland. Numerous exemplary gratia of voter confusion and distress have been brought to national attention," said Hassan then.
Phase II of the SIR began in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal on November 4.
Most states had the last SIR of the voter list between 2002 and 2004.
The primary aim of the SIR is to weed out foreign illegal migrants by checking their place of birth. The move assumes significance in the wake of a crackdown in various states on illegal migrants, including those from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
As per a PTI report in January, names of 6.5 crore electors were removed from the draft electoral rolls of nine states and three Union territories as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being carried out by the Election Commission.
During a debate in the Uppoer House, the actor turned politician accused the commissions of denying voters of their right.
"I consider this moment an honour... I was introduced to my language by my Tamil teachers. One of them was a political leader, C.N. Annadurai... He taught us to confront any invasion on our language, our culture, and our rights... You may say I'm not qualified to speak on economics with my high school dropout status. Let it be so. Nevertheless. As an extramural student of whatever university you all hail from, I have an opinion as a Tamilian. MK Gandhi helped me write this speech without anger. Periyar helped me add logic. Anna helped me understand this building... My imminent concern is the forthcoming elections. I wrote it down thinking only of the impending present. I call it the spell-checked story of the living dead. We want to cast a vote, sir, and commissions are checking our right to vote. They are checking the spellings and addresses and that too erroneously. We just want to cast our vote," he said.
Haasan had earlier in January also alleged that people are facing inconvenience due to SIR process in Tamil Nadu. "It is a national inconvenience, shared by our sister states across the length and breadth of our motherland. Numerous exemplary gratia of voter confusion and distress have been brought to national attention," said Hassan then.
Phase II of the SIR began in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal on November 4.
Most states had the last SIR of the voter list between 2002 and 2004.
The primary aim of the SIR is to weed out foreign illegal migrants by checking their place of birth. The move assumes significance in the wake of a crackdown in various states on illegal migrants, including those from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
As per a PTI report in January, names of 6.5 crore electors were removed from the draft electoral rolls of nine states and three Union territories as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being carried out by the Election Commission.
