logo
'It is a relief for democracy': Congress hails SC suggestion on EC's revision of Bihar electoral rolls

'It is a relief for democracy': Congress hails SC suggestion on EC's revision of Bihar electoral rolls

Time of India3 days ago
NEW DELHI: Congress hailed
Supreme Court
hearing on EC's revision of Bihar electoral rolls as a significant step, and expressed hope that the poll watchdog will accept additional documents like Aadhaar for voter's verification.
Congress general secretary and MP K C Venugopal said, "It is a relief for the democracy. The matter will now be heard on July 28. Supreme Court has given its views through this that Aadhaar, voter ID and ration card are to be part of the verification process. I think
Election Commission
will go with this suggestion of Supreme Court. Let's wait for it."
Lawyer-MP Abhishek Singhvi said, "After extensive arguments, Supreme Court has clearly suggested that three documents, namely Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards, be also considered by EC in the process of enumeration."
"This is a significant advance. All other merits remain open and time for reply and rejoinder has been given till end of July."
"On the main issue, our contentions are significant and will be considered by the court at a later date. Those contentions included the important point that presumption of eligibility and voter registration has been reversed by EC by putting all the electors existing on the electoral rolls in a state of suspended animation...," he said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Time is apt to restore J&K's Statehood
Time is apt to restore J&K's Statehood

The Hindu

timean hour ago

  • The Hindu

Time is apt to restore J&K's Statehood

When one travels from Srinagar to Uri, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Lieutenant Governor (LG)'s overhaul of the region's challenging terrain is perceptible. His bureaucrats outline his main accomplishments: first, efficient transportation networks have facilitated better access to services, and tourism; and second, civilian killings and militant recruitment have considerably declined. The locals agree. Industrialists say the elimination of separatist infrastructure has allowed businesses to thrive. A section of the people appear to have moved on from the separatist discourse, but they do not explicitly admit it. They fear this would deflect from Kashmir's political questions, especially the need for a plausible political trajectory which remains elusive as New Delhi delays restoration of J&K's Statehood. Political uncertainty culminating in political premonition serves nobody's interest. It needs to be replaced by an optimistic vision for the future, drawing from compassionate terms of engagement between New Delhi and J&K. Handing over full executive powers to J&K's elected government is the first step. The Supreme Court (SC) in December 2023 recommended the restoration of J&K's Statehood but did not specify a deadline. Now is the apt time. Among many reasons is the urgency to not fritter the democratic participation that Kashmir Valley witnessed in last year's Assembly elections. A population reckoning with bureaucratic rule wanted to empower a regional leader. The people reposed faith in Omar Abdullah's capacity for calibrated navigation, hoping the National Conference (NC) would negotiate a respectable arrangement for J&K, at the least Statehood. New Delhi ought to engage with and empower a Chief Minister elected with a historic mandate. It is advisable to also engage with other regional players, especially former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and emerging young leaders such as Waheed Parra. The mainstream leaders' secular politics is Indian democracy's asset. Trying to scupper them by facilitating political proxies will be preposterous. Mr. Abdullah has shown political sagacity by repairing ties with New Delhi. But over a podcast recently, he lamented that he is unable to get work done as he has little authority over the officials. His presence merely as a custodian of status quo is causing dissatisfaction among the voters. It has also earned him accusations of pusillanimity, including from elements within his party, who are publicly advocating a more confrontationist course, significantly expanding their personal appeal. Mr. Abdullah could also animate his constituency with lofty sound-bytes, but he understands a collision course with New Delhi will not help J&K's case. Sources say Mr. Abdullah is hopeful that Statehood will be restored in August. Acknowledging the people's will even when the Union government has the power to perpetuate the LG's hegemony will generate far more political optimism than economic implements could alone. Only twice in history has Kashmir witnessed relative peace: from 1948 to 1952 when Jawaharlal Nehru empowered Sheikh Abdullah to effect social and economic overhaul; and from 1975 to 1984, following the Indira-Sheikh Accord to when Indira Gandhi toppled Farooq Abdullah's government. Clearly, 'peace' is contingent on harmonious relations between New Delhi and the State government. Recently, a daily in Kashmir reported that restoration of Statehood will be followed by fresh elections, as the previous elections were meant for a Union Territory. This created a furore in Srinagar. It is unlikely that there will be another Assembly election. But the lack of a political roadmap built on consensus is deepening public apprehension. Particularly alarming is the regional divide between Kashmir Valley and Jammu. An example of it was the mob violence in Jammu against a Kashmiri man accused of stealing. Such incidents underline the urgency of setting up a State Human Rights Commission and the SC-recommended Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In the foreseeable future, the BJP will remain the predominant force in Jammu, and the NC in Kashmir. The NC made a noble gesture by anointing its lone Hindu MLA, Surinder Choudhary, from Rajouri as the Deputy Chief Minister. It is the BJP's turn to reciprocate. Infiltration in Poonch and Rajouri is alarming. There is hardly time for procrastination. Anando Bhakto reports on Kashmir and national politics

"Bewildering": Tejashwi Yadav On Poll Body's Bihar Voter List Revision Claim
"Bewildering": Tejashwi Yadav On Poll Body's Bihar Voter List Revision Claim

NDTV

time2 hours ago

  • NDTV

"Bewildering": Tejashwi Yadav On Poll Body's Bihar Voter List Revision Claim

Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday cast doubts over the Election Commission's claim that the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar was progressing at a brisk pace and would be completed before the July 25 deadline. Addressing a press conference, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly also took strong exception to the EC's "silence" on the Supreme Court's suggestion that Aadhar card and ration card be included in the list of acceptable documents, to be submitted by voters whose names did not figure in the electoral rolls of 2003 when SIR was last conducted. The young leader said, "In its press note issued on Saturday, the EC claimed that more than 80 per cent of the state's 7.90 crore voters have already been covered under SIR. This is a bewildering claim considering the fact that an estimated four crore people from Bihar live in other states." "We would like to know from the EC how many such migrants have been covered under the exercise. It is well known that during the elections, a large number of people return to their home state to cast their votes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several special trains had to be run for an estimated 40 lakh returnees. The EC should disclose what arrangements were made this time," the former deputy chief minister said. The EC seems to be playing with figures to give a false impression that it has been undertaking this exercise competently, he alleged. "We have received complaints that booth-level officers (BLOs) are under pressure to achieve targets and they are ending up collecting enumerating forms without getting those duly signed and filled up by the voters concerned," he added. Mr Yadav also had a few video clips played, in which enumeration forms were shown strewn on the streets, to underscore that the SIR was marred by many irregularities. However, the X handle of the chief electoral officer has been running "fact checks" debunking these videos. Mr Yadav alleged, "The EC is never coming up with a proper statement or press conference explaining what it intends to do about the SC order earlier this week when it was told to consider including Aadhar card and ration card." There is no clarity on the role that booth-level agents nominated by political parties are supposed to play in the exercise, he said. "In its tearing hurry to meet the July 25 deadline, the EC came up with an advertisement proclaiming that those unable to submit their documents may just deposit their forms, leaving the remaining things for the claims/objections stage. But there was no official notification to this effect and the BLOs are confused," claimed the chairman of the INDIA bloc's coordination committee for the state assembly polls due later this year. Mr Yadav, who spoke in the presence of a number of alliance partners, also said, "We still hold the view that SIR is an exercise aimed at depriving, wrongfully, many existing voters of their right to franchise in order to benefit the ruling NDA. Leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should be squarely blamed for this undemocratic move." In the 2020 assembly polls, there were several seats in which candidates of Mahagathbandhan (INDIA bloc's Bihar prototype) lost by margins of 3,000 votes or less. A little manipulation in the voters' list can easily tilt the scales. If indeed the EC believes that the voters' list had been suspect so far, it should declare last year's Lok Sabha elections as null and void, Mr Yadav said. He scoffed at the claim of the BJP that the exercise was essential to weed out "illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas" from the voters' list. "In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP-led coalition did exceedingly well. Even last year, the NDA bagged 30 out of the state's 40 seats. So the BJP should tell us whether it thinks the alleged infiltrators were voting for Narendra Modi," he added.

Drug cartels, extortionists, killers running parallel government: Bajwa
Drug cartels, extortionists, killers running parallel government: Bajwa

Indian Express

time2 hours ago

  • Indian Express

Drug cartels, extortionists, killers running parallel government: Bajwa

Congress Sunday questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's 'silence' on the daylight murder of businessman Sanjay Verma and alleged that 'drug cartels, extortionists, and killers are running a parallel government while Punjab Police stands as mute spectators.' Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said, 'Verma's brutal murder in broad daylight outside his showroom is not just a tragedy — it is a chilling warning to every businessman in Punjab. He was an entrepreneur who employed over 500 people. And he was shot dead in broad daylight. Why? Because extortion gangs now rule this state'. Bajwa was speaking to reporters after attending a memorial for Verma. 'Traders are gripped by panic. If Verma can be killed so openly, who is safe anymore?' Bajwa asked. 'Where is CM Mann? Where is the Home Minister? His silence is not just shameful — it is criminal negligence. The ruling AAP has surrendered the state to gangsters. Drug cartels, extortionists, and killers are running a parallel government while Punjab Police stands as mute spectators,' he said. Bajwa accused the state government of avoiding accountability in the Assembly, refusing even to allow discussion on the law and order crisis. 'Congress demands immediate action. We demand resignation of CM Mann for failing in his duty as home minister and a high court-monitored judicial probe into Verma's murder. We also demand a Special Assembly session dedicated to discussions on law and order situtation and business community protection,' he added. 'Punjab's entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy. They are terrified, and rightfully so. If this government doesn't act now, Punjab's economy will bleed and the blame will lie squarely at the feet of Bhagwant Mann,' Bajwa warned. Meanwhile, Ludhiana MP and state Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said that the 'gangsters have created an atmosphere of fear akin to the one prevailing during the terrorism days in Punjab.' He said, extortion calls have become a routine and helpless people are forced to pay up and they do not even dare to complain. Warring, who addressed 'Samwidhan Bachao (Save Constitution)' rallies in Payal and Gill Assembly segments of Ludhiana, also called for radical police reforms to fix responsibility and accountability over the registration of fake FIRs. Warring also showered praise on former chief minister Beant Singh, who belonged to Payal. The happy and prosperous Punjab that we all today, was restored by Beant Singh by his blood, Warring said, adding the state can never forget his sacrifice. He pointed out, how the Congress led by Beant Singh came forward to fight the elections in 1992, while the Akalis ran away. 'While some ran away to America and Canada, others hid themselves behind the bars in the jails,' he said. Referring to the menace of drugs prevailing in Punjab, he said, there was no magic wand to finish it instantly. He underlined the need for providing jobs to youth, which can act as great antidote against drugs. He said, there was a huge number of vacancies which the AAP government was not filling as it did not have money. Warring suggested exploring the option of providing legalized and regulated traditional things like opium and poppy husk, which are less harmful than the synthetic drugs. He quoted the example of Canada where cannabis was legalized in 2017. Congress general secretary and former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa lashed out at the BJP for spreading disinformation. He challenged the party to list one achievement during or after the freedom struggle of the country, for the nation. He said, the Congress does not need any certificate from BJP, Akali Dal or the AAP. Randhawa warned the government against its attempts to acquire about one lakh acres of land saying it will destroy Punjab's economy. He said, this comes to stop the income of farmers worth Rs 50,000 crore.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store