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A political dispute has emerged in India over irregularities in the voter list, raising questions about the foundation of democracy. The Election Commission has clarified its position, but opposition parties have protested strongly. Senior journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash did indepth analysis in his show.
Voter list dispute emerged in political corridors
New Delhi: Right now a serious political dispute has emerged in the country, which is directly raising questions on the foundation of democracy. This dispute is related to the irregularities in the voter list. Yesterday, the Election Commission held a press conference on this issue and gave many arguments clarifying its position. But only after this did the opposition parties protest strongly about this in and outside the Parliament. It is clearly visible that now this dispute is not just a technical or administrative issue, but it has taken the form of a deep political battle, which cannot be seen to be calmed down easily.
Chief Election Commissioner of the Election Commission, Gyanesh Kumar, told the press conference that there is no reason for anyone to doubt the accuracy and transparency of the voter list. He said that a special voter revision campaign is being run across the country, and all the state governments have been instructed that under no circumstances should any eligible citizen be left out of the list. Along with this, he also informed us that the Commission is working to remove duplicate names, names of dead persons and wrong entries through measures like digital verification, Aadhaar linking and field verification. The Election Commission also clarified that if someone's name is removed by mistake, both online and offline options are available to correct it. Gyanesh Kumar also stressed that the Election Commission works completely independently and impartially within the ambit of the Constitution.
Senior journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash said in his show 'The MTA Speaks' that the opposition parties were not satisfied with the clarification of the Election Commission. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called it not just a technical mistake but a well-planned conspiracy. He alleged that lakhs of names have been deliberately removed from the voter list so that the voice of the poor, Dalit, backward and minority sections can be suppressed. Calling it a direct attack on democracy, Rahul Gandhi said that this is an attempt to snatch the constitutional rights of the citizens. He demanded an independent investigation into the entire matter and talked about giving strict punishment to the responsible officers.
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav also reacted strongly to this. He said that when the names of the people are removed from the voter list, what will be left of democracy? Akhilesh alleged that lakhs of names have been removed in many other states, including Uttar Pradesh, and all this is a conspiracy to weaken the opposition vote bank. He said that the opposition will not sit silent until the Election Commission does not respond in a transparent manner and does not restore the confidence of the people. He also said that the opposition will not shy away from taking to the streets on this issue.
BJP reacted strongly to these allegations. The party said that the opposition is already surrounded by the fear of electoral defeat, and hence now it is trying to hide its failure by attacking constitutional institutions. BJP also said that the Election Commission has made it clear that the names that have been removed from the voter list have been removed due to technical reasons, such as duplicate names, names of dead persons or wrong information. BJP says that politics has no role in this and the purpose of the opposition is to weaken the credibility of the Election Commission and mislead the public. The BJP also said that if the opposition has concrete evidence, they should present it before the Election Commission.
This dispute is important in the sense that the entire process of democracy depends on the voter list. If a citizen's name is not in the list, he will not have the right to vote. This is why even a small mistake here becomes a big political controversy. In a huge country like India, where there are more than 90 crore registered voters, updating the voter list is a complex process.
This dispute is important in the sense that the entire process of democracy depends on the voter list. If a citizen's name is not in the list, he will not have the right to vote. This is why even a small mistake here becomes a big political controversy. In a huge country like India, where there are more than 90 crore registered voters, updating the voter list is a complex process.
Such problems have come to the fore even before this, such as duplicate names remaining, names of dead persons remaining in the list, and names of eligible voters not being included in the list on time. In the last general election also, such cases came to light when the names of thousands of people suddenly disappeared from the list, and even then the opposition had made serious allegations against the Election Commission. Apart from this, the Supreme Court has given strict instructions to the Election Commission several times to ensure the accuracy and transparency of the voter list.
There have also been criticisms of the Aadhaar linking process, alleging that a large number of names of genuine voters, especially those from rural areas and underprivileged sections, were removed from the list during this process. The opposition cites this data and alleges that all this has happened under a conspiracy.
This controversy can also affect India's international credibility. India is considered the world's largest democracy, and its electoral process is seen as ideal. If questions are raised on the accuracy of the voter list, it can raise questions on India's democratic process.
The opposition has indicated that it will agitate on the streets on this issue and launch a nationwide campaign. This will put more pressure on the Election Commission to take more concrete and transparent steps. However, the Election Commission and the ruling party believe that when the verification of the voter list is completed, the controversy will calm down on its own.
Now the question is also being raised whether the Supreme Court or other constitutional institutions will intervene in this dispute. Several PILs have already been filed, demanding an independent investigation. If the court gives any strict order, then this dispute can become even more serious.
The biggest danger in this tussle is that the trust of the common citizen may not be weakened. When a voter reaches the polling booth, his expectation is that his name should be registered in the voter list and his vote should be counted. This is the real soul of democracy.
