The Election Commission of India dismissed Opposition claims that only the Union government can fully scrutinise citizenship during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The EC stated the Centre's power is "limited" to examining cases where Indian citizens have voluntarily taken foreign citizenship, under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955. This section allows the Centre to determine "when or how" foreign citizenship was acquired for terminating Indian citizenship if required. In an exhaustive 184-page affidavit, the EC explained, "The powers of the Central government are confined to reviewing the acquisition of foreign citizenship, and whether based on such acquisition, the Indian citizenship of a person should be terminated… It is only for this limited purpose that the exclusive jurisdiction has been vested in the Centre, to the exclusion of all other authorities. Every other aspect related to citizenship can be inquired into by other authorities." Opposition parties from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal criticized SIR as citizenship screening. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam claimed the EC is misusing the revision to conduct a new National Register of Citizens. However, the EC defended its authority to "assess citizenship" strictly for electoral roll registration, a constitutional precondition under Article 326 to vote. The Commission clarified that the SIR's goal is not to decide citizenship status but to verify voter eligibility. It further stated, "Even if we assume, without conceding, it is only the Centre which can appraise citizenship, it is imperative to note that proof of citizenship sought from existing electors under the SIR exercise is for a limited purpose, that is, registration in the electoral rolls which enable the right to vote." Citing Article 324, the EC underlined its constitutional power to oversee elections and said no law can override its jurisdiction. The Representation of the People Act, 1950, requires that voters be Indian citizens and “ordinarily resident” in their constituency. According to the EC, the SIR, conducted under Section 21(3) of ROPA, is an "intense" exercise prompted by “felt necessities.” The EC stated, "The guidelines issued with respect to the SIR are constitutional and in the interest of maintaining the purity of the electoral rolls, which is a pre-requisite for free and fair elections that forms a Basic Feature of the Constitution." Addressing claims that SIR is unconstitutional for shifting the verification burden, the EC called SIR "voter-friendly". It explained that electors only need to sign pre-filled enumeration forms (EFs) delivered to their homes. "This is a minimal requirement expected from electors who are unable to trace their eligibility to the previous SIR 2002," it added. The EC also said voter enrolment is not final. Voters must be able to vote. Dead or permanently shifted voters and non-citizens should be removed from rolls to keep elections fair and clean.