India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, on Thursday (October 15) strongly criticised US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal over her comments on India’s electoral processes, describing them as “unacceptable interference” in the country’s internal affairs.
Jayapal, an Indian-origin Democratic representative from Washington state, had expressed concern over reports alleging that around 130 million names had been removed from India’s electoral rolls during the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Responding to her remarks on X, Kwatra defended India’s democratic framework and its constitutional institutions.
The remarks by @RepJayapal on India’s electoral and political processes are unacceptable interference in India’s internal affairs.
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.
— Amb Vinay Mohan Kwatra (@AmbVMKwatra) October 15, 2026
“The remarks by [Jayapal] on India’s electoral and political processes are unacceptable interference in India’s internal affairs,” Kwatra wrote.
He described India as a “vibrant democracy” with robust, independent constitutional institutions and a longstanding record of free and fair elections. He also said he remained open to a constructive conversation with Jayapal to address what he called her misconceptions.
Jayapal compares India’s SIR exercise with Trump administration’s actions
Jayapal said she was “deeply concerned” about the alleged removal of 130 million people from India’s voter rolls. She compared the reported exercise with actions by US President Donald Trump’s administration concerning voting rights in the United States.
“I am deeply concerned about the actions of the Indian government to purge 130 million people from the voting rolls. This appears to be a similar playbook to what the Trump Administration is doing here at home to undermine voting rights in a democracy,” she wrote on X.
I am deeply concerned about the actions of the Indian government to purge 130 million people from the voting rolls. This appears to be a similar playbook to what the Trump Administration is doing here at home to undermine voting rights in a democracy.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) October 14, 2026
Her remarks have added an international dimension to the political dispute surrounding the SIR exercise.
However, the figure of 13 crore should not be treated as a confirmed count of eligible voters removed from the electoral rolls. The Election Commission has rejected the characterisation of the entire figure as confirmed voter deletions.
What is the SIR debate?
The controversy centres on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision, an exercise intended to verify and update electoral rolls.
The poll panel has said the process aims to identify deceased voters, duplicate registrations and people who have permanently shifted or cannot be traced. It maintains that the revision is necessary to keep voter lists accurate and ensure electoral integrity.
Opposition parties have questioned the scale and methodology of the exercise, alleging that large-scale exclusions could affect eligible voters and influence electoral outcomes. Some have accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of conducting the exercise in a manner that could benefit the BJP-led government.
The Election Commission has rejected the Opposition’s description of the entire figure as confirmed deletions and said eligible electors can apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls through prescribed procedures.
The controversy intensified following a September report by The Indian Express, which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months on issues linked to the revision, registration procedures and digital electoral-roll systems. The report also highlighted concerns over decisions allegedly taken without their knowledge.
The dispute has prompted Opposition leaders to seek judicial scrutiny of aspects of the SIR exercise.
What is the Trump administration doing on voter rolls?
Jayapal’s comparison comes amid a broader dispute in the United States over voter registration and eligibility checks.
The Trump administration has stepped up efforts to examine voter-registration records and identify individuals it believes may be ineligible to vote. The administration says these measures are intended to protect election integrity and maintain public confidence in the electoral process.
Federal law prohibits non-US citizens from voting in federal elections. However, efforts to verify voter eligibility have faced legal challenges, with critics warning that inaccurate records could lead to eligible citizens being wrongly flagged.
On Tuesday, the US Justice Department gave California election officials 48 hours to review a list of people it suspected were non-US citizens registered to vote, according to reports. It threatened legal action if officials failed to comply.
The department also sought to have ballots linked to the listed individuals withheld or set aside until their citizenship was confirmed. The demand came after California had begun mailing ballots ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan said his office was reviewing the request with state officials. He also said the county had not opened the USB drive containing the names because of data-security concerns.
The Justice Department said it was enforcing federal election law, while critics questioned the timing of the demand and warned about the possibility of errors affecting eligible voters.
