Kishan Reddy Accuses Revanth Reddy of Using SIR to Stir Communal Tensions in Telangana

Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy claims the state government is sabotaging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process while allegedly shielding illegal residents in Hyderabad.

The political climate in Telangana has turned combustible over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, speaking to the media in Hyderabad on Saturday, launched a sharp critique of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, alleging that the state leadership is actively working to derail the exercise while using communal rhetoric to consolidate votes.

According to the Union Minister, the Chief Minister’s recent public remarks—specifically those urging community members to "take precautions" or risk losing their voting rights—are a calculated effort to provoke Muslims. He argued that these statements, combined with the Chief Minister’s branding of himself as "Revanth Uddin," represent an attempt to link a standard administrative process like the SIR to religion, thereby creating unnecessary friction within the state.

Allegations of Interference in the Old City

The friction appears to be concentrated in Hyderabad’s Old City, where Kishan Reddy claims the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is actively obstructing Election Commission officials. The minister alleged that local party workers are threatening Booth Level Officers (BLOs), warning them against conducting door-to-door verification and insisting that party-supplied forms be accepted as is.

"The AIMIM is trying to threaten BLOs, saying you should not visit houses and take up the survey," the minister stated, adding that both the Congress and the BRS are effectively providing cover for these actions. He asserted that the BJP would stand by state employees if they face intimidation while attempting to discharge their duties.

The Question of Illegal Documentation

At the heart of the minister's grievance is the integrity of the voter list. Kishan Reddy alleged that individuals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Rohingya refugees have managed to secure voter IDs and PDS ration cards in Hyderabad. He criticized opposition parties for their silence on these "double votes" and maintained that it is the Election Commission’s constitutional responsibility to clean up these rolls, regardless of the political fallout.

While Congress leaders have attempted to frame the SIR as a tool used elsewhere for political gain, the minister questioned why similar concerns were not raised regarding exercises in states like Kerala. He emphasized that the process must proceed based on facts rather than the political preferences of the AIMIM or the ruling party.

Why It Matters

This standoff is more than just a bureaucratic dispute over the SIR process; it reflects the deep-seated mistrust between the BJP and the Congress-AIMIM alignment in Telangana. By focusing on the SIR, the BJP is positioning itself as the guardian of electoral integrity, while the ruling Congress is clearly walking a tightrope to keep its traditional support base intact. For the voter, this means the administrative exercise of updating the rolls has now become a high-stakes political theatre, where every house visit by a BLO is scrutinized for its potential impact on the state’s delicate social and political equilibrium.