“Chori aur seenajori”: Randeep Surjewala’s jibe after ECI says "no law to publish separate list"

New Delhi [India], August 11 (ANI): Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday for not providing a separate list of the 65 lakh deleted names from the draft electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar, saying that the constitutional body is providing “lame duck excuses” to hide voter fraud. 

“Isse kehete hai – chori aur seenajori,” Surjewala said in a post on X, taking a jibe at the poll body.

“Bihar's 65,00,000 (65 lakh) deleted names: Election Commission's new affidavit: Will not provide details of the 65 lakh deleted names, Will not disclose the reasons why 65 lakh names were deleted, Will not share the list of the 65 lakh deleted names,” his post added, sharing a news report on the issue. 

Earlier in another post, the Congress leader also slammed the poll body for hiding behind procedural smokescreens, and terming it as the "Election Capture of India."

“When confronted with evidence of mass manipulation of voter rolls, the Election Commission seeks to hide the “Voter Fraud” with its lame duck excuses, puerile legalese and fake technicalities. No wonder that it is now named as “Election Capture of India” – ECI,” Surjewala posted on X. 

He further criticised the Election Commission for hiding behind “procedural smokescreens” by giving repeated notices to Rahul Gandhi asking him to prove his claims of voter fraud. 

“To evade scrutiny in favour of procedural smokescreens is not neutrality. It is an abdication of duty that corrodes the very democracy it is meant to protect. It is nothing short of a crime against democracy and the Constitution and these notices will not dilute the unpardonable sin it is committing,” his post added. 

The Congress leader was reacting to the ECI submitting an affidavit in the Supreme Court, where the poll body said that the law does not require it to prepare or share any separate list of names of people missing from draft electoral rolls or publish the reasons for their non-inclusion “for any reason” whatsoever.

Responding on the allegations by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) that over 65 lakh names had been deleted from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls without transparency and without disclosure of whether the deletions related to deceased persons, migrants, or other categories, ECI said no eligible voter in Bihar will be removed from the electoral rolls without prior notice during the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) in the state.

Earlier today INDIA bloc MPs also planned to march from Parliament to the ECI office at Ashoka Road, and were stopped by Delhi police, with multiple leaders including Rahul Gandhi being detained. (ANI)