Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday, July 6, urged the government to provide a ‘Permanent Residence Certificate’ to people by finalising certain criteria to ensure that eligible voters do not lose their vote during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Telangana.

Addressing a gathering in Hyderabad, he alleged that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is not giving him time to meet. He indicated that he discussed relevant issues with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka when he met the latter.

Owaisi said the Congress government in neighbouring Karnataka provides ‘Permanent Residence Certificate’.

“We demand that the Telangana government immediately provide Permanent Residence Certificate,” he said.

The AIMIM leader said the state government can provide the certificate based on criteria, including presence of a person’s parents’ or grandparents’ names in the electoral rolls or on the basis of Aadhaar, PDS ration cards and school records.

Claiming that at least 50 people are approaching AIMIM on a daily basis since the last two months with the complaint that they don’t have the documents to submit as identity proofs during Special Intensive Revision (SIR), he asked how they can be deprived of the right to vote if they lack the documents.

He said double entries, dead voters and other such ineligible voters should be removed from the electoral rolls, but genuine voters cannot be deleted.

If the ruling Congress does not understand that poor people in the state do not have the necessary documents, then it is cut off from reality, he said.

Congress should not “condole” after publication of final voters’ lists (about deletion of names) saying some conspiracy happened, he added.

Owaisi on June 11 demanded that the EC accept PAN card, driving licence, and PDS ration card as identity proofs for voter verification during the SIR.

He had urged CM Revanth Reddy to make efforts to include the driving licence, PDS ration card, and other documents issued by the state government in the list of valid proofs for establishing voter identity.