Tejashwi Terms Bihar SIR BJP 'Conspiracy', Slams ECI For Not Obeying SC Orders
Tejashwi Terms Bihar SIR BJP 'Conspiracy', Slams ECI For Not Obeying SC Orders
M.U.H
12/08/202533
Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly polls and called it a “conspiracy” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by using the Election Commission of India (ECI) as a front.
Tejashwi also slammed the ECI for not obeying the suggestions and directions of the Supreme Court with regard to SIR, and clarified that he was not against the exercise, but had problems with its process in which many bonafide voters were being removed from the electoral roll.
“This is a conspiracy of the BJP and it is getting its work done by using the Election Commission as a front. The work which the BJP cannot do on its own, is getting done by the Commission,” the RJD leader told reporters in Patna.
Tejashwi, who happens to be the leader of Opposition in the legislative assembly, asserted that SIR was the misfortune of the state because it was noticeable that the “names of several voters have been struck off the electoral rolls. Many people do not have documents, while a large number of voters, who vote only in Bihar, have gone out.”
The RJD leader pointed out that the state needed special category status and special package to progress, but was given the special intensive revision.
Tejashwi stressed on the issue of the deputy chief minister (Vijay Kumar Sinha) possessing two Election Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) but blaming it on the Election Commission.
“Nobody would have perhaps known that the deputy chief minister possessed two EPICs, had I not called a press conference to raise it, nor would there have been any action against him. The ECI has sent a notice to him is another matter,” Tejashwi said.
“I am not opposed to SIR, but am against the process that is being adopted to conduct it. There are so many such people and so many examples (like that of Sinha). Why will not questions be raised on the process? There cannot be a bigger crime than deleting the name of a voter,” he said.
Tejashwi had revealed on Sunday that Sinha possessed two EPICs and was listed as a voter in two constituencies – Bankipur and Lakhisarai – forcing the latter to clarify that it was the fault of the ECI and he had written to it about the imbroglio.
Following the revelation, the ECI sent a notice seeking Sinha’s response on the issue by August 14.
The RJD leader’s statements came ahead of the Supreme Court further hearing the petitions against SIR on Tuesday, while the unified Opposition is protesting the electoral roll revision exercise in Delhi and inside the Parliament.
“The people will present their views on SIR during the hearing, but the ECI is not even obeying the directions of the Supreme Court. It is misusing its status as a constitutional institution,” Tejashwi said.
The Commission has sent notices to the RJD leader as well, for possessing two different EPIC cards. It has suggested that one of them could be a fake, and possessing such government documents was an offence.
Meanwhile, the ECI in its latest bulletin pointed out that there were no claims or objections on deleted voters by any of the national or state parties in Bihar till 10am on Tuesday. However, 13,970 people have submitted their claims and objections directly to the Commission so far, of which 341 have been disposed of.
Bihar had 7.9 crore electors when SIR started in June. Over 65 lakh of them have been struck off the draft electoral rolls published on August 1 as a part of the exercise. The Commission has given a month’s time to the people to raise claims or objections if their names have been wrongly deleted.
The final roll would be published on September 30, after which the notification for the Bihar Legislative Assembly election would be issued. The polls are expected in November.
