Amidst controversies surrounding the voter list review in Bihar, the Election Commission has clarified that it will not compromise on transparency. The process of removing deceased, duplicate, and fake voters will continue.
Bihar Voter List Review: Amidst the ongoing controversy regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has adopted a clear and firm stance. He stated that the Election Commission will not be intimidated by pressure or unfounded allegations. The commission's aim is to ensure fair and transparent elections, and the accuracy of the voter list is essential for this.
Questions on Deceased and Transferred Voters
Gyanesh Kumar questioned whether the commission should maintain the names of individuals who are no longer alive or have permanently moved to other states on the voter list. If this were to happen, it would promote fraudulent voting and double voting.
Giving Free Rein to Bogus Voting is Not Justified
The Chief Election Commissioner also asked whether the Election Commission should pave the way for bogus voting through voters obtaining voter IDs in two places, fake names, or foreign nationals. He stated that the commission's responsibility is to ensure that only the names of legitimate voters are on the voter list.
Questions Raised on the SIR Process and the CEC's Response
Responding to questions raised by opposition parties on the SIR process, Gyanesh Kumar said that these questions are like crucial questions that need answers. He said that in a democratic country like India, where the constitution is supreme, such necessary questions cannot be avoided. He said that these issues should be discussed above political ideologies.
Opposition Protest in Bihar
Before the Bihar Assembly elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and other opposition parties have registered their protest regarding this SIR process. Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, while raising a question in the Assembly, said that it is inappropriate to conduct this process when many parts of the state are grappling with floods. He also alleged that the 11 types of documents requested by the commission are not available to the poor.
Dispute Over Documents
Tejashwi Yadav said that the documents demanded by the commission, such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, MGNREGA cards, etc., have been refused to be considered as proof of citizenship. In such a situation, how the poor will prove their identity is a big question. The CEC clarified that a transparent and updated voter list is the basic necessity of any democracy. If deceased persons or fake names are not removed from the voter list, it will weaken the foundation of democracy.
