Gandhinagar, Oct 27 (PTI) BJP leader Tarun Chugh on Tuesday claimed that around three crore infiltrators from Bangladesh were among those who did not come forward to verify their eligibility as voters during the SIR process.
Speaking to reporters here, the Gujarat BJP in-charge also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of trying to protect ineligible voters by questioning the Election Commission’s functioning.
“These allegations are nothing but propaganda by Congress. It is a big conspiracy to defame the country,” Chugh said, alleging that Congress was targeting the country’s independent institutions to undermine their credibility.
Around three crore people categorised as absent during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were “infiltrators who had entered India without citizenship documents,” he claimed.
“These three crore people are those who do not want to come forward and tell where they lived. These are infiltrators who entered India (from Bangladesh),” he said.
He also alleged that the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, after coming to power in 2011, “opened the gates” for infiltrators to settle in India and obtain identity documents including Aadhaar cards and certificates.
Those whose names were not found in voter lists before 2004 were required to establish their previous residence, Chugh said, claiming that those unable to provide the necessary proof were avoiding the verification process.
The BJP leader also disputed the allegation that 13 crore voters were deleted through the SIR, arguing that the figure included people from different categories and did not represent wrongful deletions.
About 2.8 crore of these voters were deceased, while around six crore had shifted residence or were registered in multiple places, he said.
These voters were allowed to retain their registration at a location of their choice, the BJP leader said.
The remaining missing names included those classified as absent during verification, and some of them were avoiding the process, Chugh alleged.
On the Opposition’s allegations of vote theft, Chugh said the system involves multiple layers of verification, including booth-level agents appointed by political parties.
“If there is a vote theft, then how did you win in Kerala and Tamil Nadu? How is it possible to manipulate nearly 10 lakh Booth Level Officers and equal number of Booth Level Agents and supervisors above them?” he asked.
The BJP leader also argued that electoral rolls could not be manipulated remotely from Delhi as relevant systems operated at the Assistant Returning Officer’s level.
Chugh also referred to the affidavit filed by the three Election Commissioners in the Supreme Court on Monday, saying it contradicted Rahul Gandhi’s allegations that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had issued key communications without consulting the other commissioners.
He also contended that the Constitution’s framers had granted certain protections to Election Commissioners, and these were not special concessions extended by the Narendra Modi government.
Chugh also said that Congress questions Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and constitutional institutions whenever it loses elections.
“Earlier, they used to blame EVMs. Now, they are pointing fingers at SIR saying a vote theft took place. So they have only changed names, their intention is the same — attack the country’s leadership, country’s institutions and our Constitution,” he said.
“If this is a vote theft, then how did Congress win in Kerala and Tamil Nadu? If EVMs were faulty, how did you form the government in Telangana? The same EVMs were used when Arvind Kejriwal became Chief Minister thrice in Delhi,” said Chugh.
The Election Commission and the judiciary were essential pillars of Indian democracy, he said, and accused Congress of damaging their reputation by levelling unsubstantiated allegations.
He also asked why Gandhi did not submit an affidavit presenting his allegations despite approaching the Supreme Court, claiming that the Opposition lacked evidence to support its charges. PTI PJT PD KRK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.