By Richesh Jain
Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India] November 27 : Calling the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being conducted by the Election Commission across the country a "true cleanliness drive" of our democracy, former union minister and veteran BJP leader Kalraj Mishra said the SIR aims to identify and remove names of infiltrators who are "influencing our democratic system" and removing them is crucial.
The former Rajasthan Governor emphasised that participation in SIR, the "grand festival of democracy", is the responsibility of every citizen, as ensuring correct names in the voter list is "our collective duty as Indians."

"Special Intensive Revision is essential because infiltrators, by getting included in the voter list through fraudulent means, are influencing our democratic system. Hence, identifying them is crucial," he stressed while addressing a seminar on SIR organised on Constitution Day yesterday at ITS Engineering College, Greater Noida.
The seminar, 'Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-Sahi Soochi Sahi Mat' (Right List, Right Vote) was organised in collaboration with the Radhey Shyam Charitable Foundation.
Mishra, present as the Chief Guest, also led the reading of the Preamble of the Constitution on the occasion and said, "The Constitution empowers us to run the country smoothly and contribute to nation-building."
The BJP leader said SIR was initially implemented as a pilot in Bihar and is now being extended across the nation.
Currently, a nationwide SIR is underway in 12 states and union territories, including West Bengal, with the final electors' list to be published on February 7. The first phase of SIR was completed in Bihar ahead of the state's Assembly elections.
Former President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), Rakesh Sharma, said that SIR is extremely necessary given the current circumstances. At its core lies public participation, which is the most important pillar of any democracy.
He said that every citizen must check their names, get necessary corrections done, and motivate others to do the same. Criticising opposing political parties for their resistance to the process, he said that the youth of the nation will step forward for nation-building, not for activities against the country.
On this occasion, District Panchayat President Amit Chaudhary said that public cooperation is essential for SIR. He pointed out that BLOs (Booth Level Officers) are visiting households to identify eligible voters so that only genuine Indian citizens find their names on the voter list.
He stated that SIR is necessary for electoral transparency, political stability, and public trust. After SIR, duplicate entries are removed, fake names are deleted, and every eligible citizen's name gets included. The voter list is the foundation on which the structure of Indian democracy stands. When this foundation is strong, your vote remains valuable, and when every vote is secure, democracy becomes strong, vibrant, and sustainable.