The war of words over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls sharpened on Friday, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi telling Union Home Minister Amit Shah to stop “confusing” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and instead convince him to accept an open debate.
“Amit Shah ji, don’t confuse Modi ji. Just convince him to have an open debate with me. Any platform, any time. Don’t be afraid,” Gandhi wrote on X on Friday, November 6. The post came a day after Shah challenged the Congress leader to raise the SIR issue inside Parliament, saying the government was ready to convene a special session if the Congress formally asked for one.
How the dare unfolded
On Tuesday, November 3, Gandhi challenged Prime Minister Modi to an open debate on the voter roll revision, saying he was ready to debate on any platform and at any time. A day later, Shah responded at a rally in Karnal, Haryana, daring Gandhi to discuss the issue in Parliament instead.
“If you wish to engage in a responsible discussion, if your concerns hold truth, substance, and logic, then come and discuss them inside Parliament. Let’s face each other head-on! But you won’t be able to handle the answers; as always, you will just run away,” Shah said at the Karnal rally.
Gandhi’s reply went further. He shared a video carrying two different statements by Shah on whether SIR could be discussed in Parliament. On December 10, 2025, while replying to Gandhi’s “vote chori” allegations in the House, Shah had said SIR could not be discussed inside Parliament because the matter fell under the Election Commission, an independent body. On November 5, 2026, however, Shah said the government was ready to call a special session to discuss the same issue.
Shah hits back with ‘Ghuspatiya’ jibe
At the Karnal rally, Shah branded the Opposition’s ‘Vote Bachao’ yatra as a ‘Ghuspatiya Bachao Yatra’, a jibe aimed at the Congress campaign against the revision exercise. “Rahul baba’s ‘Vote Bachao’ yatra is more like a ‘Ghuspatiya Bachao Yatra’! Should the infiltrators be driven out of this ‘Devbhoomi’ and out of India, or not?” he asked.
EC gives ASDD voters a fresh chance
Even as the sparring continued, the Election Commission issued fresh instructions on Friday. In an order to the Chief Electoral Officers of Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland, the poll body said voters marked Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD) whose enumeration forms were not received would get another opportunity to seek inclusion in the final electoral rolls.
The Commission directed that booth-wise lists of such voters be displayed at polling stations, Panchayat Bhawans, Urban Local Body offices and Block Development Officer offices, and also uploaded online.
For the Congress, the order is only a partial answer. The party has argued the exercise has led to large-scale deletions. The BJP maintains it is a routine clean-up meant to remove duplicate and ineligible entries, including those of illegal infiltrators.
Protests spill into the streets
The row is not confined to Delhi. On Friday, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and other INDIA bloc leaders protested at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park, demanding the withdrawal of SIR and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Today, Saturday, the agitation moves south. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced a protest against SIR at Rajendra Maidan in Kochi, with the gathering beginning at 3 pm and the main event at 4 pm. Actor Prakash Raj has appealed to students, young people and civil society members to join the demonstration.
What happens next
For now, neither side looks ready to blink. The Congress has not yet formally asked for a special session of Parliament, which is the condition Shah set for a debate inside the House. Gandhi, meanwhile, has made it clear he wants the debate out in the open, on any platform, and has dared the Prime Minister directly.
With the revision exercise still under way in several states and fresh protests planned, the SIR row looks set to dominate the political conversation in the days ahead.
FAQs
What is SIR?
SIR stands for Special Intensive Revision, the Election Commission’s exercise to revise electoral rolls through door-to-door verification. Names can be deleted if a voter is found absent, shifted, dead or duplicated.
What did Rahul Gandhi say to Amit Shah?
On November 6, Gandhi posted on X: “Amit Shah ji, don’t confuse Modi ji. Just convince him to have an open debate with me. Any platform, any time. Don’t be afraid.”
What was Amit Shah’s response?
On November 5, Shah challenged Gandhi to debate SIR inside Parliament and said the government was ready to call a special session if the Congress formally requested it.
What fresh chance has the EC given voters?
On November 6, the Election Commission said ASDD voters in seven states and Union Territories whose enumeration forms were not received will get another opportunity to be included in the final electoral rolls.
Where is the protest against SIR happening today?
The CJP has called a protest at Rajendra Maidan in Kochi on Saturday, November 7, from 3 pm, with actor Prakash Raj urging people to join.
The SIR debate is moving fast. We will keep tracking the story as it develops.
