Owaisi demands ECI accept PAN Card, driving licence for SIR

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday demanded that the ECI accept PAN cards, driving licences, and PDS ration cards as identity proofs for voter verification during the SIR.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of Muslim organisations here, he said that of the 12 identity proofs approved by the Election Commission, three are not available in Telangana.

The three documents are the Permanent Residence Certificate, the NRC, and the Family Register (prepared by State or local authorities).

“The EC itself has said the list of 12 documents is not exhaustive. It is therefore necessary that they accept the PAN card, driving licence, and food security card issued by the State Government,” he said. He urged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to make efforts to include the driving licence, PDS ration card, and other documents issued by the State Government in the list of valid proofs for establishing voter identity.

Since three documents on the approved list are unavailable in Telangana, he said, the CM and the State Government’s chief secretary should formally inform the EC about the documents issued by the State Government that could serve as alternatives. He clarified that Permanent Residence Certificates and Family Registers are not issued in Telangana, and that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise has not been conducted in the State.