New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI) Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Wednesday criticised the opposition for “double standards” on the issue of voter list revisions in Bihar, questioning how they could object to the very process they had previously demanded.
JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha advocated for the process, saying the Election Commission’s (EC’s) drive was essential to prevent bogus voting.
After 22 years, the EC is carrying out Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar to weed out ineligible people from the electoral rolls and ensure that all eligible citizens are included in the list. It will also help remove duplicate entries of voters who have enrolled themselves in multiple places, according to the poll body.
“It is beyond my understanding (that) you complain when there’s a problem and question the solution too,” Paswan, the Union Food Processing Industries Minister, told PTI Videos inside the Parliament complex.
He recalled that the opposition had earlier raised concerns over voter list discrepancies, particularly after the Lok Sabha elections and during the Maharashtra assembly polls.
“You said voters’ names were added overnight in Maharashtra and blamed that for your loss. Now, when the Election Commission is addressing these issues through a review, you’re questioning that too,” he said.
Backing the EC’s ongoing SIR in Bihar, Paswan clarified that such an exercise had been carried out four times earlier by using the same procedure.
“The only difference is that now it’s become more convenient. Instead of physically submitting documents, it can all be done online, and you can appeal three times if needed,” he said.
Paswan also stressed that no legitimate voter would be wrongfully excluded.
“A rightful individual, a citizen of the country, will not face any injustice. But an infiltrator will also not be granted any illegitimate rights,” he said.
Jha, also the working president of the JD(U), told PTI Videos that the opposition’s protests stem from the fear of electoral outcome.
“They know what the result in Bihar will be. Just as they questioned the Constitution before the Lok Sabha elections, they’ve now found another excuse,” Jha said.
He pointed out the need for SIR in Bihar.
“If someone is dead, can they vote? If someone’s name is listed in two places, can they vote twice? This is why the Election Commission’s clean-up is necessary and welcome,” Jha said.
The MP cited EC data saying 98 per cent of voters had already submitted their applications and assured that “no genuine voter will be excluded”. PTI UZM UZM KSS KSS KSS
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