‘Unacceptable Interference’: Kwatra Rebuts Jayapal’s Claim of 130 Million Voter Roll Purge

India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, has accused US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of interfering in India’s internal affairs after she alleged that 130 million people had been purged from the country’s electoral rolls.

“The remarks by @RepJayapal on India’s electoral and political processes are unacceptable interference in India’s internal affairs,” Kwatra said in a post on X.

“India is a vibrant democracy, with robust, independent constitutional institutions and a longstanding record of free and fair elections. Always open to constructive conversation with the Congresswoman to dispel her misconceptions.”

WHAT JAYAPAL ALLEGED

Jayapal, a Democratic representative from Washington state, had expressed concern over the scale of exclusions from electoral rolls during the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

“I am deeply concerned about the actions of the Indian government to purge 130 million people from the voting rolls,” she wrote on X.

The Indian-origin Congresswoman also compared the developments with what she described as attempts by the Trump administration to suppress voting rights in the United States. She said citizens in both countries were entitled to transparent and equitable electoral processes.

“Non-violent resistance movements are essential in these moments, and I stand with the Indian people who are engaging in non-violent protests to counter anti-democratic efforts in India,” Jayapal said.

WHAT THE ELECTION COMMISSION SAYS

According to Election Commission data cited in the ANI report, approximately 72 million entries were removed from draft electoral rolls across 13 states and Union Territories during the first two phases of the SIR.

In the ongoing third phase, covering 18 states and Union Territories, the number of electors excluded from draft lists stood at 61.6 million.

Exclusion from a draft roll does not, by itself, constitute a final denial of enrolment. The Commission has said eligible electors whose names were inadvertently omitted can seek inclusion through the claims and objections process by submitting Form 6.

The exchange centres on sharply different descriptions of the revision exercise: Jayapal characterised the exclusions as a purge, while Kwatra rejected her intervention and defended India’s electoral institutions.

With inputs from ANI.