E-Paper
Kharge criticises ECI, says poor and minorities ‘deliberately’ excluded in SIR
Kharge said that if 6.5 to 10 million voters are being excluded in a state of 70 million, it’s not an error, it’s a calculated decision to remove the marginalised from the democratic process
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI), calling the draft voters’ list released during the special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral roll a “deliberate” move to disenfranchise the poor, marginalised and minorities.
Speaking at the Annual Legal Conclave organised by the Congress in New Delhi, Kharge said, “If 6.5 to 10 million voters are being excluded in a state of 70 million, it’s not an error, it’s a calculated decision to remove the marginalised from the democratic process.”
Kharge asserted that accountability will follow for those in the poll body.
“Whether they are serving or retired, ECI officials won’t be spared if they break the rules. They’re in a dangerous position – lying for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – and that cannot go on unchecked”, he said.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s directive allowing Aadhaar, Voter ID or ration card for voter verification in the SIR process, Kharge claimed the ECI ignored it deliberately. “They knew that if more people were allowed to enrol, the votes would go to Congress,” he said.
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He also alleged that Opposition voices, including his own and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, are routinely muffled in Parliament.
“Microphones are switched off the moment we try to speak,” he said.
Kharge also spoke on the resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar claiming that the BJP ousted him when he showed signs of independence.
“The moment he accepted the motion to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma, they saw him as a threat. They pressured him to withdraw or resign”, he said.
The 2003 Bihar SIR data was published days before the ECI launched the fresh exercise to revise the electoral roll on June 28 as a reference point for the submission of identification documents. Nearly 60% of the total electorate were not required to submit any documents. They had to verify their details and submit enumeration forms.
