From the Urdu Press: ‘All eyes on Rahul's next move as he rises as Opp face', ‘EC must avoid knee-jerk reaction over SIR'

Indian Express

6 days ago

The Election Commission (EC)'s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar and the 'vote theft' allegations have continued to generate fireworks between the government and the Opposition within Parliament and outside, with about 300 Opposition MPs taking to the streets to hold a march to the EC office. These developments dominated the coverage of the Urdu dailies through the week, with the voter list row expected to remain on the boil for a long time.
Referring to the Opposition MPs' march from Parliament House to the EC headquarters in the heart of the Capital over the Bihar SIR and alleged 'vote theft' in various elections, the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its August 12 editorial, says that the protest displayed a remarkable show of the INDIA bloc's unity. 'After being mocked as 'Pappu' of Indian politics for a long time, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has now come a long way as he led an unprecedented march of Opposition MPs, which was stopped by police,' it says, adding that several Opposition leaders, including Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were detained before release later.
The editorial also states that the INDIA bloc's joint protest has sounded the bugle for the Bihar Assembly polls. 'All eyes would now be on the next move of Gandhi, who has established his credentials as the Leader of the Opposition.'
Pointing to Gandhi's accusations against the EC and BJP of perpetrating a 'criminal fraud', the New Delhi edition of Inquilab, in its August 10 editorial, writes that a significant aspect of the Congress leader's move this time is that he did not only level the 'vote chori' charge but also sought to substantiate it with findings of a Congress investigation into voting in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment, part of the Bangalore Central parliamentary seat, in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. After making his revelations through a presentation, Gandhi urged the EC to do course-correction in order to properly discharge its constitutional duty as an autonomous body, the edit says.
'The Congress led by Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi seems to have understood that mere allegations and protests against the alleged misuse of the country's institutions by the ruling dispensation would not create resonance, (and this) could be done through evidence unearthed through meticulous research and investigation,' the editorial says. Rather than looking into the LoP's charges objectively, it adds, the EC, in a 'knee-jerk reaction', just asked Gandhi to submit it through a signed declaration.
The daily says Gandhi's claims cannot be brushed aside by the EC as they are not just allegations, like those made earlier by the Congress and other Opposition parties in various polls. 'In the absence of digital electoral rolls, the LoP's team pored over massive EC data manually for six months to come up with these revelations. Gandhi should be credited with this long, painstaking exercise, which evoked his 2022-23 Bharat Jodo Yatra that he undertook on foot from Kanyakumari to Kashmir,' it says. 'Gandhi's expose of electoral irregularities has not only enhanced public awareness but would also boost the Opposition's unity.'
Commenting on the continuing logjam in Parliament, which has washed out most of the Monsoon Session so far, the Bengaluru-based Salar, in its August 8 leader, points out that such sustained disruptions have regularly hampered the House in recent years. 'This time, there is a standoff between the government and Opposition over the Bihar SIR, with the latter pressing for a debate on the issue. The government has rejected the Opposition's demand on the ground that it is a sub-judice matter pending in the Supreme Court and that the EC is a constitutional body whose functioning could not be discussed in Parliament,' the editorial states. The Opposition has countered the government's stance, it notes, with Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge highlighting, in a letter to Deputy Chairman Harivansh, a ruling given by the Chairman in 2023 on the issue.
The daily points out that there has been a cloud over the Monsoon Session since its beginning over the Bihar SIR, which has now become more controversial over various rows, including deletion of 65 lakh existing electors from the draft voters' list. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has held that the government would be forced to pass Bills amid Opposition MPs' protests, it notes. 'However, it would be better for democracy if both sides participate in constructive debates in the House, for which the government should take the initiative and reach out to the Opposition. It is primarily the government's responsibility to ensure Parliament's functioning,' the edit states. It says alleged irregularities in electoral rolls have also been reported from West Bengal and other states. 'The EC should not be only watchful but also take measures to address the concerns of political parties and citizens in order to uphold public trust in the poll body as well as democracy.'