Asaduddin Owaisi Warns of "Jantar Mantar 2.0" in Hyderabad Over Alleged Misuse of Form 7 Against Muslim Voters

HYDERABAD/KALINGA DARPAN: Escalating the political discourse over electoral transparency, AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday cautioned the Election Commission of India and the state administration of severe civic unrest in Hyderabad if alleged attempts to disenfranchise minority voters are not curbed.

​Speaking at an Islamic religious gathering at Milad Maidan in the city, the parliamentarian accused the BJP and Sangh Parivar affiliates of orchestrating a targeted campaign to remove Muslim voters from the electoral rolls using 'Form 7'. Form 7 is the official Election Commission document used to object to the proposed inclusion of a name or to seek the deletion of an existing name in the electoral register.  

​"Printed Form 7 applications are being submitted en masse where the name of the person whose name is to be deleted is mentioned, but the details of the objector are absent or unauthenticated," Owaisi alleged. "If this drama does not stop, remember: protests bigger than those at Delhi's Jantar Mantar will take place on the streets and lanes of Hyderabad. We will not allow this to happen."  

​Appeal for Strict Election Commission Action

Owaisi emphasized that the electoral machinery must not act as a silent spectator. He appealed directly to the Election Commission, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Telangana, and the respective District Election Officers to urgently scrutinize the influx of Form 7 submissions.

​"If the Election Commission turns a blind eye and gives BJP people a free hand to remove the names of Muslims, it is completely wrong," he stated. Owaisi further demanded that criminal action be initiated against those found responsible for filing bogus or anonymous objection forms with the malicious intent of manipulating the voter base. "AIMIM will not sit silently on this issue," he declared.  

​Context: Ongoing Voter Roll Revisions

The controversy erupts against the backdrop of the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in Telangana. Recently, election authorities announced the issuance of notices to nearly 92 lakh voters across the state over discrepancies in their electoral records, failure to link data, or to verify voters who have either migrated or are deceased.  

​While the ECI maintains that the process is a routine administrative measure to sanitize and update the voter lists ahead of upcoming democratic exercises, opposition leaders have raised red flags regarding the on-ground execution of the drive. AIMIM’s latest allegations suggest a vulnerability in the system where bulk, unverified objections could potentially be weaponized to skew the demographics of specific constituencies.

​The Election Commission authorities in Telangana have yet to issue an official rejoinder to Owaisi's claims. However, political analysts note that the heightened sensitivities surrounding minority voter representation could turn the ongoing electoral revision into a major political flashpoint in the state.