I want to raise a serious question about electoral integrity and the verification process used by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Everyone is talking about voters being deleted from electoral rolls, but hardly anyone seems to be asking the other important question: Have ineligible foreign nationals been added to our electoral rolls?
We all know that illegal immigration is a documented issue in India, although the exact number of people residing illegally remains disputed. Historical estimates have put the number of Bangladeshi migrants at around 2 crore, while estimates for Rohingya have been around 40,000. These are estimates, not verified current population counts.
My concern is not simply about illegal immigration. It is about what happens when someone obtains Indian identity documents fraudulently.
There have been several reported cases of alleged document fraud:
- Bengaluru, April 2024: "India Today" (https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/4-bangladeshi-immigrants-illegally-obtain-indian-ids-in-bengaluru-arrested-2529511-2024-04-20) reported the arrest of four Bangladeshi immigrants accused of fraudulently obtaining Indian identity documents, including Aadhaar and ration cards.
- Delhi, December 2024: "Hindustan Times" (https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/12-arrested-as-cops-bust-gang-involved-in-illegal-immigration-from-bdesh-101735064831849-amp.html) reported arrests in an alleged racket involving forged Aadhaar and voter ID cards.
- Hyderabad, May 2025: "Times of India" (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/4-rohingya-refugees-held-for-obtaining-aadhaar-fraudulently/articleshow/121299376.cms) reported the arrest of four Rohingya over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Aadhaar cards.
- Tamil Nadu, February 2024: "The New Indian Express" (https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2024/Feb/01/three-bangladesh-nationals-booked-in-tamil-nadu-trafficking-cases) reported on an investigation involving Bangladeshi nationals and alleged immigration-related offences.
These reports demonstrate that fraudulent acquisition of Indian identity documents is a genuine concern.
Here is the question I want the ECI to answer.
Form 6 is used to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll. Aadhaar can be accepted for specified purposes, but it is not proof of Indian citizenship.
Consider this hypothetical scenario:
a Bangladeshi national enters India illegally, obtains forged Aadhaar and ration cards through a document-forgery network, applies for voter registration using Form 6, falsely declares Indian citizenship and subsequently votes.
Given the reported cases of document fraud, it is a legitimate question to ask whether illegal foreign nationals have entered electoral rolls and whether any have voted in previous state elections
I also believe the controversy surrounding Aadhaar and Form 6 deserves closer scrutiny. I think that is why ECI was sceptical in adding Aadhaar in first place, ECI added it only after the supreme court decision.
Now comes the political question.
Why are the Congress, left-wing groups and CJP raising concerns about voter deletions and discrepancies in electoral rolls, while there is concern of illegal Bangladeshi and rohingya being added receives no attention?
No hiding around the bush, the answer is simple - Muslims. Muslims are these core audience for these political groups.
Here is reasoning:
The extended cutoff date for the CAA is 31 December 2024, so people from Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, Jain and Christian communities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan may have applied for citizenship, and many may have obtained Indian citizenship and become eligible to vote. However, illegal Bangladeshi Muslim migrants and Rohingya remain foreign nationals. Through fraud, some may already have participated in our electoral process, but these parties won't highlight this for obvious reasons.
My question to nationalists and everyone concerned about electoral integrity is simple:
Why are we not demanding that the ECI investigate both sides of the problem -eligible voters being wrongly removed and ineligible people potentially being added along with discrepancies in ECI processes.
If electoral rolls are to be trusted, both questions deserve answers backed by transparent data, official investigations and evidence.