NEW DELHI — Congress leader Udit Raj on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of bias in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar. His remarks come after the Supreme Court suggested that the Election Commission should consider multiple forms of identification, such as Aadhaar card, voter ID, and ration card, for voter verification during the SIR process.
Reacting to the Supreme Court’s observation, Udit Raj said the apex court had made the right remark and alleged that the ECI was functioning with the intent to help the BJP and JD(U) manipulate the voter rolls.
“The Supreme Court has said the right thing. The way and the intent with which the Election Commission, the BJP and JD-U were trying to rig things was obvious. The Election Commission is a dishonest body. Its office should be inside the BJP headquarters. This is a victory for the people. The RJD and Congress jointly protested against this manipulation. This is a win for the public. Our full effort is to ensure that no fraud takes place, like the way elections were won through deceit in Haryana and Maharashtra,” Udit Raj said.
He further added that the Opposition is determined to prevent electoral fraud in Bihar and would continue to raise its voice against any attempt to tamper with voter data.
The Opposition in Bihar, including the Congress, RJD, and Left parties, has been protesting against the SIR exercise, alleging that it is being used to selectively remove names of voters who oppose the ruling NDA.
The Opposition has been raising its concern over the process in which 78 million voters would have to establish they are genuine citizens in a matter of weeks.
According to the Congress, in a state like Bihar where poverty and low educational levels result in poor awareness on documentation, nearly 30 million voters would have to provide 11 documents, rather than the commonly available ration cards, Aadhaar cards or voter IDs to prove their citizenship.
The Election Commission has denied these allegations, saying the process is being carried out within legal parameters.
The Supreme Court’s recent suggestion has been seen by the Opposition as a moral victory, bolstering their demand for transparency and fairness in the electoral roll revision process. –IANS
