"Deliberate, diabolical move to rig elections": Jairam Ramesh on SIR of electoral roll in Bihar

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday once again raised concern over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls carried out in poll bound Bihar after former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa criticised the state's electoral roll revision by the Election Commission if India.
"The Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll is a deliberate and diabolical move to rig the elections through large-scale disenfranchisement. A PM who masterminded notebandi has orchestrated this votebandi," Ramesh posted on X while sharing a recent interview of Lavasa.
Lavasa earlier in an interview to media oulet criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, calling it "abrupt, aggressive, ambitious, and avoidable".
He said that the process is unfair to voters and the machinery undertaking the task, arguing that it's not the Election Commission's job to verify citizenship. This move may lead to large-scale disenfranchisement, particularly affecting vulnerable communities.
Lavasa emphasised that demanding citizenship proof from voters is not the Election Commission's responsibility. Instead, it's the government's duty to issue citizenship documents.
He said that the SIR process may lead to the exclusion of eligible voters, particularly from marginalized communities, which could impact the democratic process.
Lavasa argued that the sudden change in procedure is unfair to both voters and the electoral machinery. He suggested that the Election Commission's established process has worked well for 75 years, and there's no need to alter it now.
Addressing a press conference in Patna, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said he cannot remain a silent witness to the dismantling of democracy in Bihar.
He said, "The Election Commission of India is working under the direction of the BJP office. We sensitised people about their rights; we went to the Supreme Court; even the Supreme Court gave its directions, but Gyanesh Kumar did not do a single press conference and answer anything."
Meanwhile, the ECI has said that over 6.99 electors out of the total 7,89,69,844 have submitted their Enumeration Forms ahead of the release of the draft electoral roll, which is set to be released on August 1. The poll panel has also said that foreign nationals possessing Indian ID cards like Aadhar and domicile certificates have been found in the state, saying that if the people are confirmed to be foreign nationals, they would not be included in the final list.
A total of 6,47,24,300 forms have already been uploaded to the system, which is 81.96 per cent of the total electorate. However, 6.85 per cent of electors, around 54.07 lakh people, have yet to submit their forms. (ANI)