Asaduddin Owaisi Slams Voter List Revision in Bihar, Calls It “Backdoor NRC”

AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly criticized the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the *voter list in Bihar, alleging that the process is a veiled attempt to implement the *National Register of Citizens (NRC) through the back door. Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, Owaisi expressed serious concerns about the transparency and legality of the exercise being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Owaisi Questions ECI’s Role in Citizenship Verification

Owaisi questioned how and why sources, rather than the constitutional body itself, are revealing critical details about the voter list exercise.

“It’s unfortunate that a constitutional body isn’t speaking officially, and all information is coming from unnamed sources. Who are these sources? Who gave the ECI the authority to determine who is a citizen?” Owaisi asked.

He argued that only the Home Ministry or Border Security Forces have the legal right to make determinations about nationality, not the ECI.

“This Is NRC Through the Back Door,” Says AIMIM Chief

Owaisi reiterated his party’s long-standing position that the SIR is essentially NRC in disguise. He added that AIMIM was the first political party to flag this concern.

“We demand the list of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) involved. Our party members will meet them and ask – where are the supposed illegal immigrants from Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh that they are talking about?” he questioned.

He also recalled that the last such exercise in 2003 yielded no significant findings of foreign nationals, and even Parliament records show that no illegal immigrants were detected in 2016, 2017, or 2019, as per a 2019 statement by the then Law Minister.

Bihar Elections & Seemanchal Region in Focus

Owaisi linked the timing of the voter list revision to the upcoming *Bihar Assembly elections in November, particularly focusing on the sensitive *Seemanchal region, known for its sizable minority population.

“Why are they trying to disempower Seemanchal? Why now, just before elections? It’s clear there is a political motive,” Owaisi alleged.

He said the SIR process lacks both legal grounding and moral legitimacy, and warned that it could erode public trust in constitutional institutions.

Key Highlights:

  • Owaisi labels the SIR in Bihar as “NRC through backdoor”
  • Questions ECI’s legal authority on determining citizenship
  • Demands transparency on BLOs and claimed foreign nationals
  • Alleges political targeting of Seemanchal minorities ahead of elections
  • Recalls zero findings of illegal immigrants in prior years, per parliamentary records

Hyderabad | July 14, 2025 –

AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly criticized the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the *voter list in Bihar, alleging that the process is a veiled attempt to implement the *National Register of Citizens (NRC) through the back door. Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, Owaisi expressed serious concerns about the transparency and legality of the exercise being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Owaisi Questions ECI’s Role in Citizenship Verification

Owaisi questioned how and why sources, rather than the constitutional body itself, are revealing critical details about the voter list exercise.

“It’s unfortunate that a constitutional body isn’t speaking officially, and all information is coming from unnamed sources. Who are these sources? Who gave the ECI the authority to determine who is a citizen?” Owaisi asked.

He argued that only the Home Ministry or Border Security Forces have the legal right to make determinations about nationality, not the ECI.

“This Is NRC Through the Back Door,” Says AIMIM Chief

Owaisi reiterated his party’s long-standing position that the SIR is essentially NRC in disguise. He added that AIMIM was the first political party to flag this concern.

“We demand the list of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) involved. Our party members will meet them and ask – where are the supposed illegal immigrants from Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh that they are talking about?” he questioned.

He also recalled that the last such exercise in 2003 yielded no significant findings of foreign nationals, and even Parliament records show that no illegal immigrants were detected in 2016, 2017, or 2019, as per a 2019 statement by the then Law Minister.

Bihar Elections & Seemanchal Region in Focus

Owaisi linked the timing of the voter list revision to the upcoming *Bihar Assembly elections in November, particularly focusing on the sensitive *Seemanchal region, known for its sizable minority population.

“Why are they trying to disempower Seemanchal? Why now, just before elections? It’s clear there is a political motive,” Owaisi alleged.

He said the SIR process lacks both legal grounding and moral legitimacy, and warned that it could erode public trust in constitutional institutions.

Key Highlights:

  • Owaisi labels the SIR in Bihar as “NRC through backdoor”
  • Questions ECI’s legal authority on determining citizenship
  • Demands transparency on BLOs and claimed foreign nationals
  • Alleges political targeting of Seemanchal minorities ahead of elections
  • Recalls zero findings of illegal immigrants in prior years, per parliamentary records