Kamta Prasad has been visiting government offices in New Delhi to prove that he is alive after being declared dead on India’s electoral rolls.

The 53-year-old tailor is among millions of people affected by a voter list revision that has removed 130 million names, triggering widespread protests and creating a major challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has removed voters for reasons ranging from alleged inconsistencies in records to being listed as deceased, leaving many struggling to restore their voting rights.

Prasad is among 4.2 million voters removed from Delhi’s draft electoral rolls, published by the Election Commission on August 31. He has had to forgo his daily wage of 250 rupees ($2.63), which supports his family of four, to visit government offices and seek correction of the error.

“I panicked when I heard about it,” Prasad said. “Since then I've been going everywhere to prove that I'm alive.”

The deletions have triggered a political storm, with opposition parties and youth groups staging near-daily protests in New Delhi and elsewhere. Police have responded forcefully to some demonstrations.

Opposition groups accuse Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar of manipulating the revision to benefit Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Both the commission and the BJP have denied the allegations.

According to Rajendra Kumar, a volunteer with the non-profit organisation Jan Sarokar, around 2,000 of the roughly 9,000 voters in Prasad’s block were removed from the list. They were classified as absent, shifted, deceased or registered elsewhere.

Prasad is the only person in his block to have been declared dead, although local media have reported similar cases elsewhere in the country.

The Election Commission has said it is removing duplicate, deceased, shifted and otherwise ineligible voters. Those excluded by mistake can file claims, submit supporting documents and appeal before the rolls are finalised.

However, the process can involve repeated visits to election offices, hearings and multiple appeals. Depending on the circumstances, affected voters may have to prove they are alive, establish residency, correct alleged discrepancies or submit fresh documents.

“I told them I voted in the last assembly and general elections and have been voting for 35 years, but nobody listens,” Prasad said.

The Election Commission did not respond to a request for comment.

Following weeks of protests, the commission ordered fresh verification in some states, including Delhi. Prasad said officials had assured him that his name would be restored.

Kamal Lal, a 38-year-old private school teacher in Delhi, was marked as “shifted” despite continuing to live in a settlement beneath a flyover with dozens of other families.

“It is very disappointing that we have been voting in this country and now our names have been cut because we do not have land papers or a water bill,” he said.

Lal said he first learned of his exclusion in September and has since approached election officials, attended hearings and filed several applications to have his name reinstated.

For some excluded voters, the remedies offered by officials have brought little relief. Instead of restoring their previous registrations, they have been advised to apply as new voters.

For poorer residents, the consequences could extend beyond losing the right to vote.

“Now local election officials are asking us to register as new voters, and my husband is strongly opposed to that because he has voted in the last few elections,” said Mamta, 39, who does not use a surname.

“I am worried that if our names are not restored to the list, I could lose access to subsidised ration and other government welfare schemes.”