Election Commission summons Congress for a meeting at 12 PM on Monday regarding the SIR controversy and allegations of 'vote theft' in Bihar. A letter was sent to Jairam Ramesh. The opposition will stage a protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission.
New Delhi: The Election Commission has summoned the Congress party for talks at 12 PM on Monday. This meeting is taking place amidst opposition allegations regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) underway in Bihar. The opposition alleges irregularities in the SIR process and accuses the Election Commission of 'vote theft'.
Official Letter Sent to Jairam Ramesh
The Secretariat of the Election Commission of India has sent an official letter to Congress MP Jairam Ramesh. It states that the Commission has considered the request from Congress and some other political parties and has scheduled a time for discussion.
The meeting will be held at the Election Commission office at 12 PM on Monday. The Commission has clarified that due to space constraints, a maximum of 30 people will be allowed to attend the meeting. It is mandatory to provide the names of all participants and the license plate numbers of their vehicles in advance. The letter does not mention the agenda of the meeting, but it is believed that the discussion will focus on the controversy surrounding the SIR in Bihar and the allegations made by the opposition.
Questions Raised on SIR
The ongoing Special Intensive Revision process in Bihar aims to update the voter list. However, the opposition claims that there is no transparency in this process. Several opposition parties have alleged that some names are being wrongly removed from the voter lists, while the names of many deceased individuals are still present on the list. The opposition is constantly targeting the Election Commission over this issue and accusing them of 'vote theft'.
Opposition Protest March
The INDIA alliance has announced a protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission office in opposition to the SIR in Bihar. This march will be held on Monday. The opposition claims that the voter list is being manipulated through the SIR process, which poses a serious threat to democracy.
Digvijaya Singh's Allegations
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has alleged that BLOs (Booth Level Officers) in Bihar are sitting in a room and filling out 'fake forms'. He claims that the Election Commission has acknowledged that many people included in the voter list are no longer alive, but their list is not being released. Regarding these issues, the INDIA alliance will march on foot from Parliament House to the Election Commission office on Monday.
Government's Stance
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said on August 1 that the government is ready to discuss any issue, provided it is done under the rules and procedures. However, he clarified that a debate on SIR is not possible because it is an independent process operated by a constitutional body like the Election Commission.
Opposition's Challenge Before the Election Commission
This meeting is taking place at a time when the opposition is questioning the credibility of the Election Commission. The controversy surrounding the SIR has heated up the political atmosphere. Congress and other opposition parties hope that their concerns will be heard in the meeting and that the Election Commission will take concrete steps to ensure transparency.
