(MENAFN- Live Mint) Backing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the inclusion of infiltrators in the voters' list pollutes the spirit of the Constitution, and asserted that voting rights should only be available to citizens of the country.

Shah made these remarks while delivering a lecture in the memory of former editor-in-chief of Dainik Jagran, Narendra Mohan, on the topic of 'infiltration (ghuspaith), demographic change and democracy'.

The home minister said the Centre will follow the policy of "detect, delete and deport" while dealing with infiltrators.

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As per the home minister, infiltration, as well as the SIR of electoral rolls by the Election Commission , should not be viewed from a political angle.

The Congress has gone into a "denial mode" on the issue of the SIR, Shah said as per PTI, adding that the exercise took place during the party's government as well.

"It is EC's constitutional responsibility to clean the voters' list. You can go to court if you have any issues," he said.

"The increase in the Muslim population is a result of infiltration from Bangladesh and Pakistan," MoneyControl quoted him as saying

Shah also said that a time will come when the opposition will also not be spared.

Free and fair elections cannot take place unless the voter list is according to the voters' definition, which is being an Indian citizen and attaining the eligible age, he said.

HM explains difference between infiltrator and refugee

Underlining the difference between an infiltrator and a refugee, Shah said the latter comes to India to save his/her religion, while an infiltrator crosses over the border illegally, not because of religious persecution but because of economic and other reasons.

"Who are infiltrators? Those who have not faced religious persecution and want to come to India illegally for economic or other reasons are infiltrators. If anyone in the world who wants to come here is allowed to do so, our country will become a dharamshala," he said, as per PTI.

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