A Madhya Pradesh minister's warning to villagers in his constituency that they can lose their basic entitlements as Indians if they are not enumerated under the SIR has gone viral on social media, buttressing Opposition claims that the drive is akin to the fraught National Register Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

The BJP-ruled state's civil supplies minister, Govind Rajput, is seen in a video speaking on stage at an event in the Surkhi Assembly constituency on November 28. "The voter list process is currently underway in the village. We request everyone to get their names added to the voter list.... If you fail to get your name added, you will lose access to ration, water and other services like your Aadhaar card. The deadline is still 5-6 days away, so anyone who has missed it should get their name added," he is heard saying.

Neither is the SIR directly linked to service delivery, nor has any MP or other NDA-led state government announced that basic services will be contingent on the SIR outcome.

The SIR notification, however, places the onus on electoral registration officers and assistant electoral registration officers to “refer cases of suspected foreign nationals to the competent authority under the Citizenship Act, 1955”.

State Congress president Kamal Nath said: "Rajput's statement makes it clear that first, the BJP will cut off people's ration. After that, it wants to snatch away free treatment, fertiliser for farmers, the money given to women under the Ladli Behna scheme, scholarships for students, and all other facilities that a citizen should receive.... On one hand, the BJP wants to form its government through vote theft, and on the other hand, it wants to strip Indian citizens of their rights."