Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud has questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged removal of eligible voters from electoral rolls in the state through the Special Intensive Revision.

Goud said Congress workers had reported deletions of voters, including from minority communities seen as party supporters. The allegations were made on Saturday amid the wider national row over the revision exercise.

The party claims that in Telangana, 48.90 percent of voters have either been deleted or face the risk of deletion. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has called the exercise a massive Shah-instigated removal of voters.

The Election Commission has rejected the charges. It says the revision, held after 22 years, will remove ineligible, duplicate and deceased entries and add eligible voters.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka joined a Congress dharna at the state election office. He demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer.