Mon Jul 14 05:40:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summary based on the provided text, styled for The Hindu:

**The Hindu: National News**

**Sibal Accuses Election Commission of Bias, Alleges Voter Roll Revision Aimed at Maintaining “Majoritarian” Rule**

*New Delhi, July 13, 2025* – Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of being a “puppet in the hands of the Modi government.” Sibal’s remarks center on the ECI’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which he claims is an unconstitutional attempt to disenfranchise marginalized communities and ensure the continued dominance of “majoritarian” governments.

In an interview with PTI, Sibal argued that the ECI lacks the jurisdiction to decide issues of citizenship, implying the SIR process could be used to unfairly remove voters. He further stated that the present election commissioners are more aligned with the government than the previous ones.

“This whole particular process of a special intensive revision is a process to ensure majoritarian governments for all times to come,” Sibal said. He further claims that by selectively deleting names of the poor and marginalised communities, the party in power will have more opportunities to win.

The ECI maintains the SIR is necessary to cleanse voter rolls of ineligible individuals and duplicate entries, conducted after 22 years. The Supreme Court is currently hearing petitions challenging the revision. While allowing the SIR to continue, the Court directed the ECI to consider Aadhaar cards, Voter IDs, and ration cards as valid documents during the process, but has refused to pass a ruling on it.

Sibal highlighted the significance of the SIR issue, stating it is “perhaps more significant than any other issue being talked about today”. He also questioned the ECI’s handling of the Maharashtra elections, alleging unexplained increases in voter numbers in constituencies won by the BJP.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the petitions challenging the SIR on July 28th. The Election Commission has been directed to file its response within a week, with the petitioners having a week thereafter to file their rejoinder.

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