India, April 11 -- The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Friday raised a red flag over the "mass deletion" of nearly 90 lakh voters from the electoral rolls in West Bengal, terming the exercise a "systematic disenfranchisement" of citizens in the middle of an election campaign.

In a strongly-worded letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, CPI General Secretary D Raja expressed "profound unease" at the scale of removals following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the State.

The veteran leader alleged that the process has inverted the burden of proof, forcing ordinary citizens to prove their legitimacy rather than the State verifying their status.

"The reported removal of nearly ninety lakh names from th...