New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to devotees on the third day of Shardiya Navratri on October 13, invoking Devi Chandraghanta and seeking her blessings for happiness, prosperity and success for all.

In his post on X, Modi described the Goddess as a symbol of courage, peace and divine power. Alongside his message, he shared a YouTube link to the devotional bhajan Chottanikkara Baghavathi, dedicated to the Goddess.

His post also included a Sanskrit verse praising the Goddess's divine power and grace, with a prayer for the welfare of all.

However, the Prime Minister's message made no mention of the ongoing protests in Delhi over the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Demonstrators and Opposition leaders have raised concerns about the revision process and demanded accountability from the poll body.

Delhi protests over voter revision

The SIR exercise has become a major political flashpoint, with questions being raised about the deletion of names from draft electoral rolls and the verification of voters whose records contain discrepancies.

In Delhi, more than 47 lakh names were removed from the draft electoral rolls, while notices were issued to around 33 lakh voters over logical discrepancies or difficulties mapping their details to the 2002 electoral rolls. Election officials have said that around 20 lakh of these notice cases have been resolved.

Opposition leaders have challenged the revision process and demanded accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The controversy has also prompted legal action, with Opposition leaders seeking judicial scrutiny of the exercise.

The Election Commission's stated position is that the revision is intended to verify electoral rolls and that eligible voters should not be excluded. The central concern raised by critics is whether the process adequately protects eligible voters and provides an effective way to correct errors.

A devotional message amid political unrest

Modi's Navratri message focused on the religious occasion, the blessings of Devi Chandraghanta and the welfare of the public. It did not address the protests, the concerns over voter deletions or the demands for accountability from the Election Commission.

That omission creates a striking contrast: the Prime Minister invoked courage, peace and the welfare of all while a contentious debate over electoral transparency continued in the national capital.

The criticism is not that Modi shared a devotional song or extended festival greetings. It is that his public message offered no acknowledgement of a dispute concerning citizens' electoral rights at a time when demonstrators were demanding answers.

The question remains whether the Prime Minister will address the concerns surrounding the SIR exercise or leave the response to the Election Commission and political representatives.