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Dhami Defends SIR, Rejects Caste Targeting Claims Over Ritual
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami defended a voter-list checking exercise called SIR.
He said the Election Commission approved its final decisions unanimously.
He also said SIR is meant to update voter lists, not unfairly remove eligible voters.
Congress has raised questions about how the process is being carried out.
Dhami said those questions should be supported by records and facts.
He also denied that a religious purification ceremony in Haldwani was aimed at Mallikarjun Kharge or any caste.
Congress says the ceremony insulted Dalit and tribal communities.
Congress plans to hold a meeting in New Delhi about the ritual and related concerns.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami defended the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Dhami said the Commission’s final SIR decisions and related schedules had been approved unanimously.
He said SIR aims to clean and update electoral rolls, not remove eligible voters’ rights.
Dhami denied that an August 11 Haldwani purification ritual targeted Mallikarjun Kharge or any caste.
Congress alleged procedural irregularities in SIR and called the ritual an insult to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe community.
- Who
- Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Election Commission, and the Congress are the main participants; Congress also raised concerns involving Mallikarjun Kharge and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.
- What
- The dispute concerns the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and an alleged caste-related interpretation of a Haldwani purification ritual.
- Where
- The electoral-roll dispute concerns Uttarakhand and other states and Union Territories covered by the Commission’s schedules; the ritual took place at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, and the planned Congress meeting is in New Delhi.
- When
- The original SIR order was issued on June 24, 2025; the ritual was held on August 11; Congress held a protest on September 25 and announced a meeting for September 29.
- Why
- Dhami says SIR is intended to clean and update electoral rolls, while Congress seeks scrutiny of alleged procedural irregularities and says the Haldwani ritual insulted SC/ST communities.
Congress Concerns
Dhami and Election Commission Response
Special Intensive Revision
Congress Concerns
Congress alleged serious irregularities and procedural discrepancies, questioned large numbers of voter objections, and demanded safeguards before names are deleted.
Dhami and Election Commission Response
Dhami said SIR is intended to clean and update electoral rolls rather than deprive eligible voters of their rights, and said the Commission’s final decisions were unanimous.
Internal objections and final decisions
Congress Concerns
Congress referred to reported objections by the two Election Commissioners on administrative and procedural matters as grounds for scrutiny.
Dhami and Election Commission Response
Dhami said internal comments or objections should not automatically be presented as disagreement over the Commission’s final decisions, which he said were unanimously approved.
Haldwani purification ritual
Congress Concerns
Congress said the ritual was an insult not only to Mallikarjun Kharge but to the entire Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe community, and accused the BJP of supporting it.
Dhami and Election Commission Response
Dhami denied that the ritual targeted Kharge, Dalits, or any caste, and challenged Congress to provide evidence that it was directed at a person or community.
Key facts
- SIR order date
- June 24, 2025
- Haldwani ritual
- A purification havan was held at Ramlila Maidan on August 11.
- Dhami’s position
- The havan was not against any person or caste.
- Congress protest
- The Uttarakhand Congress held a march to the Election Office on September 25.
- Congress demands
- The party sought publication of Assembly-wise and booth-wise Form-7 application details and physical verification before voter deletions.
- Planned meeting
- Congress announced a Dalit-Adivasi Self-Respect Meeting in New Delhi on September 29.
- Election Commission position
- The Commission said the original SIR order and subsequent schedules received unanimous approval.
Quotes
Pushkar Singh Dhami
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand
“Everyone has the right to raise questions. But questions and allegations should be accompanied by facts. They should be based on the entire institutional record and should be based on truth.”
indianexpress.com
“The havan that was performed as purification was not against any person, nor was it against any caste.”
indianexpress.com
Mallu Ravi
Congress Member of Parliament
“This was not merely an insult to Kharge ji, but an insult to the entire SC/ST community.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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