'People have right to protect votes': Congress on SC's verdict on Bihar draft electoral rolls

Patna, July 28 (IANS) The Congress party on Monday reacted to the Supreme Court's refusal to stay the publication of draft electoral rolls in Bihar, asserting that while the top court may have declined to halt the process, citizens still have the right to ensure that elections remain free from vote theft and fraud.

Speaking to IANS, Bihar Congress President Rajesh Kumar said, "It would not be appropriate for us to comment directly on the decision of the Supreme Court. But the way the Election Commission is working is quite disappointing. The number of voters whose names have been deleted has crossed 65 lakhs, yet the Election Commission has not changed its approach. They claim to be removing fake voters added through fraudulent means, but the current process itself appears dubious."

Congress spokesperson Abhay Dubey echoed these concerns, stating, "The Supreme Court had directed that Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards, and ration cards should be considered for voter verification. But the Election Commission has not complied with this. It's vote theft. The EC has deleted the names of 65 lakh voters without proper verification. They did not conduct any door-to-door campaign to collect data. It’s a bogus process."

Congress Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru said, "The Supreme Court refused to stay draft electoral rolls publication, but people have the right to ensure there is no vote theft and no election fraud. The INDIA Bloc’s struggle will continue. The SIR is a scam – a voter theft scam – and the Election Commission is directly responsible for it."

Meanwhile, the BJP defended the Election Commission’s actions.

Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal said, “The Supreme Court has already stated that there should be no violation of anyone’s voting rights. Not a single voter has publicly protested so far. The Election Commission is only removing voters who are either deceased or registered in multiple locations. They are also removing voters who no longer exist. Protesting against the SIR process, which is still underway, is not good.”

DMK MP Tiruchi N. Siva, however, warned that what is happening in Bihar could soon spread elsewhere.

“It is being reported that nearly one crore voters may have been deprived of their rights. In the name of SIR, the Election Commission is carrying out actions, and the government is merely watching. Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of democracy. We want a debate on this. The government is accountable and should clarify these issues instead of avoiding them,” he told IANS.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday declined to grant an interim stay on the publication of the draft electoral rolls in Bihar, prepared following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ordered by the Election Commission.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi observed that since the petitioners had not sought interim relief during the initial hearing, it could not be granted at this stage. The bench stated the matter would be interpreted definitively at a later hearing.

Due to a lack of time, the bench adjourned the hearing, scheduling the final arguments for July 29.

During the brief hearing, the apex court emphasised that Aadhaar and Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) should be used as valid documents for voter verification.

When senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the ECI, raised concerns about the authenticity of certain documents - particularly ration cards - the court noted, "Ration cards can be forged easily. But Aadhaar and voter ID cards carry a presumption of genuineness and sanctity. You proceed with these two documents. Where forgery is suspected, deal with it on a case-by-case basis."

Several petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the ECI’s June 26 directive ordering the Special Intensive Revision. The petitioners argue that, if not reversed, the directive could arbitrarily disenfranchise lakhs of voters and undermine free and fair elections - cornerstones of India’s democracy.

--IANS

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