NEW YORK: The United Nations Special Rapporteurs have formally sought an explanation from the Modi government over allegations that millions of voters, including a significant number of Muslims, were removed from electoral rolls, according to international media reports.
The UN experts issued an open letter to the Indian authorities requesting a comprehensive response to allegations concerning the deletion of names from voter lists.
The communication raises concerns over the scale of the alleged removals and their potential impact on the voting rights of minority communities.
The United Nations has requested detailed information from India regarding the allegations, including data on voters who were allegedly removed from electoral rolls on the basis of religion or ethnicity.
The letter asks the Indian government to clarify the criteria and procedures followed in the revision of voter lists.
The communication cites allegations that approximately 9.1 million names were removed from electoral rolls in the state of West Bengal.
It also refers to reports claiming that around 52 million names were deleted across 12 Indian states, prompting the UN experts to seek further clarification and supporting information from Indian authorities.
The UN Special Rapporteurs noted that allegations suggest members of the Muslim and Bengali communities were disproportionately affected by the reported deletions.
The letter also refers to claims that in the Nandigram area of West Bengal, nearly 95 percent of the voters whose names were allegedly removed belonged to the Muslim community.
According to the UN experts, if confirmed, such actions could have serious implications for political participation and the protection of fundamental rights, particularly for minority communities.
The letter states that the reported removal of names from voter rolls may have disproportionately affected minorities, especially Muslims, by limiting their ability to participate in the democratic process.
The Special Rapporteurs also expressed concern over allegations that certain public statements by representatives of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have contributed to discriminatory attitudes toward minority communities.
They called on the Indian government to provide a detailed response addressing these concerns and to clarify the measures being taken to ensure equal electoral rights for all citizens.
