Latest news with #SpecialIntensiveReview
Hans India
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Oppn unity on SIR, 'harassment' of Bengali-speaking people in Odisha, Assam may be raised in INDIA Bloc meet
Alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in Odisha, Assam and Delhi after being branded as illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators, the Special Intensive Review (SIR) and the necessity of Opposition unity on these issue are likely to be the important matters that would be raised by the Trinamool Congress in the meeting of the INDIA Bloc this evening. The meeting will be attended virtually by the Trinamool Congress General Secretary and the party's Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee, as decided by the party leadership at the last moment. 'The harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states after being branded as illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators is the most burning issue of the country currently. "While the Trinamool Congress is the only party in the country which is spearheading the movement on this issue, our Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, had already stressed the importance of a united stand of all Opposition parties on this issue. "Our General Secretary is expected to convey that message to the INDIA Bloc allies in the meeting this evening,' said a senior Trinamool Congress member who refused to be named. Although initially, the Trinamool Congress decided to skip the INDIA Bloc meeting because of the preoccupation of the party leaders with the preparations for the party's annual Martyrs' Day rally on July 21, at the last moment, it was decided that Abhishek Banerjee would attend the meeting virtually. Another important issue the party's General Secretary will raise in the INDIA Bloc meeting would be the Special Intensive Review by the Election Commission of India (ECI), which has already started and is expected to start in West Bengal next month, the Trinamool Congress leader said. 'Our Chief Minister has already made the party's stand clear that this Special Intensive Review is a ploy to indirectly implement NRC in West Bengal. Our General Secretary is expected to elaborate the party's stand on this issue at the INDIA Bloc meeting this evening,' he added. The meeting of the INDIA Bloc this evening, which is happening after a gap of quite some time, is expected to discuss coordination on the floor of the Parliament on various issues during the forthcoming Monsoon Session of the House.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
INDIA bloc to hold virtual meeting on July 19 to discuss prevailing political situation
The leaders of the INDIA Bloc will virtually meet on July 19 to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country ahead of the monsoon session of the Parliament. Congress MP KC Venugopal said that the meeting will take place at 7 pm on Saturday. In a post on X, Venugopal said, "A meeting of the leaders of the INDIA parties will be held online on 19th July 2025, at 7 pm to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country." Congress MP and All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Syed Naseer Hussain confirmed the same, "Top leaders of INDIA parties to meet virtually before the monsoon session on 19th July at 7 PM to discuss important issues." However, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the INDIA Bloc will also hold a meeting at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on the same day. Yadav raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, saying that he manner in which the exercise is being conducted, it is dangerous for the democracy. Live Events "We have no problem with the Special Intensive Review (SIR) exercise, but the manner in which this exercise is being conducted is dangerous for democracy... We cannot see democracy ending... We will fight against it on every platform. We are writing letters to all the big leaders of the country and will attend the INDIA alliance meeting to be held at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on the 19th," Tejashwi said on Thursday. The opposition parties have been targeting the Election Commission over the voter list revision in Bihar, where the assembly elections are scheduled to be held later this year. Earlier on Thursday, KC Venugopal questioned the timing of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, stating that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should act as a "neutral player" ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Thursday once again raised concern over 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. Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi cited media reports and alleged that "massive irregularities" are coming to light in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in poll-bound Bihar and questioned the independence of the Election Commission. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) not to rush the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in poll-bound Bihar. "The ECI should provide us the contacts of the contact numbers of the Booth Level Officers and the members of our party will ask those BLOs about where they found people from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar... 60-70 per cent of the youth from Seemanchal are working in other states... They should not conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in a hurry," the AIMIM chief told media persons. Meanwhile, the Election Commission reported on Thursday that 89.7 per cent of the existing electors have submitted their enumeration forms during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The draft electoral roll for Bihar will be published on August 1, 2025. "As of today, 89.7% of the existing electors have given their Enumeration Form to be included in the draft Electoral-Roll to be published on 1st August, 2025," the ECI said in an official statement.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Electoral roll update exercise dangerous and bizarre: Singhvi
New Delhi: Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi called the Special Intensive Review of the Election Commission in Bihar 'dangerous and bizarre' and claimed that the EC exercise, in its original form, could have struck off about 2 crore (20 million) of the state's 4.9 crore (49 million) voters. Addressing a press conference at Indira Bhavan, the Congress headquarters, on Saturday, Singhvi said EC's plan to consider voters who were added after 2003 as 'suspects' was an 'arbitrary and legally questionable move.' (PTI) Addressing a press conference at Indira Bhavan, the Congress headquarters, on Saturday, Singhvi said EC's plan to consider voters who were added after 2003 as 'suspects' was an 'arbitrary and legally questionable move.' Singhvi was one of the legal counsels who opposed the EC's move. The Congress leader said on Saturday that party is satisfied with the orders of the Supreme Court, wherein it asked the EC to accept the Aadhaar card, the voter card and the ration card as valid proof of identity. 'The Election Commission's plan could have disenfranchised nearly 2 crore voters out of around 4.9 crore voters registered after 2003. These voters were asked to furnish citizenship proof. It is beyond the jurisdiction of the Election Commission of India to verify the citizenship of people,' said Singhvi. Singhvi, however, clarified that the Congress had it never sought a stay of the SIR. The Congress leader also questioned that, 'Ten elections have been held since the last special revision in 2003. What was the hurry to carry out another revision when the Bihar election was just a few months away?' Singhvi pointed out that the 2003 special revision was done a year before the Lok Sabha polls and 2 years before the assembly election. The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to also consider Aadhaar cards, voter IDs and ration cards, as acceptable proof of eligibility for inclusion in electoral rolls in its ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the list in Bihar, even as it agreed to examine whether the poll body's exercise violated legal provisions or could potentially lead to mass disenfranchisement ahead of assembly elections due later this year. Underlining that the matter 'goes to the root of the functioning of the democratic republic' and involves 'the right to vote,' a bench of justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi said it would examine three key questions -- ECI's powers to conduct such an exercise, the manner in which the SIR is being conducted, and its timing, and fixed the matter for next hearing on July 28.
India Gazette
10-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Oppn blaming EC since they anticipate defeat: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Jodhpur (Rajasthan) [India], July 11 (ANI): Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday said that the opposition was blaming the Election Commission amid the ongoing Special Intensive Review (SIR) exercise since they have already anticipated their defeat in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. 'The Constitution has established a process, and the Election Commission operates under a constitutional framework to conduct elections, maintain voter lists, and add or remove names from voter lists. This process has been ongoing in the country for many years, but anticipating their defeat, the opposition has prepared to pin the blame on the Election Commission,' Shekhawat told ANI. Meanwhile, Swaraj Party leader Yogendra Yadav said that the apex court has put a break on the 'disenfranchisement exercise'. Clarifying that the stay order on the SIR drive was not a requirement, Yadav said that the Supreme Court remained alert to the possibility of this exercise posing a serious danger of disenfranchisement. 'The Supreme Court has kind of put a break on the disenfranchisement exercise that was happening. We did not ask for a stay order. The SC did not give a stay order because that was not required at all. What was said was that in the current exercise, there is a serious danger of disenfranchisement. The Supreme Court was very alert to that possibility,' Yadav, one of the petitioners challenging the EC's SIR drive in the Supreme Court, told reporters. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise was initiated by the Election Commission to update Bihar's electoral rolls, which has been met with resistance from opposition parties. They argued that the short timelines and stringent requirements could lead to disenfranchisement of many eligible voters. The Supreme Court's decision to allow the SIR to continue has sparked reactions from various political quarters, with the ruling alliance seeing it as a validation of their stance. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi did not stay the SIR process but asked the ECI to consider allowing Aadhaar, ration cards, and electoral photo identity cards as admissible documents to prove voter identity during the SIR of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar. 'We are of the prima facie opinion that in the interest of justice, the Election Commission will also include documents like Aadhaar, Ration Card, Voter ID card, etc. It is for the ECI to decide whether it wants to accept the documents or not, and if it does not, then provide reasons for its decision, which shall be sufficient to satisfy the petitioners. Meanwhile, petitioners are not pressing for an interim stay,' the bench stated in its order. In its order, the top court noted that the timeline for the process is very short since elections in Bihar are due in November. The apex court posted for hearing on July 28 the pleas challenging ECI's move to conduct SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar and asked the poll panel to file its affidavit within one week. During the hearing, the bench opined that Aadhaar should be included within the list of documents permissible as an ID proof. 'We feel since Aadhar has been taken as a solid proof for inclusion in electoral rolls... it should be included. Your enumeration list is all related to identity - matriculation certificate, etc.,' observed the bench. The apex court was hearing a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission of India's move to conduct the SIR of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. According to advocate Barun Kumar Sinha, the hearing of the case is scheduled for July 28; until then, the Election Commission of India will continue with its SIR process in Bihar. He informed that the Supreme Court wants the ECI to include Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration card in the Special Intensive Revision Process. (ANI)
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
‘Never thought of proving citizenship after years'
PATNA: Ram Sevak Paswan is a worried man. A resident of Malti Bedaulia village under Ujiarpur assembly constituency in Samastipur district, Paswan has no document to prove his citizenship. He only has the voter ID, MNREGA job card, Aadhaar card, and Ayushman health card issued by the authorities. Paswan has no land of his own to claim for the Pradhanmantri Awas Yojna to build a pucca house. He owns a 'jhopdi' (hut) erected on the land provided by his 'malik' (landowner) for whom he works as a daily wager. 'I never thought the day would come when I would have to prove my citizenship, decades after my birth,' he told this reporter. His wife, Shanti Devi, engaged in household work, intervenes: 'We, both husband and wife, don't know how to read and write. We are illiterate and don't have birth certificates. How will we prove that we are citizens of this country? It's the government's job to provide us with documents.' Paswan has a query: 'When Aadhar card is required for opening a bank account, why is it not a valid document to prove citizenship? After all, we got the Aadhar card after running from pillar to post. It is required for admission to government schools. Why is it not a valid document for citizenship?' None of the IDs he has figure in the list of 11 documents required for the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar.
