CEC Gyanesh Kumar holds interaction with Owaisi-led AIMIM delegation; receives suggestions
The poll body said that it received suggestions from the Owaisi-led delegation in the meeting, which was held at Nirvachan Sadan.
'Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi had an interaction with a delegation from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Party led by its National President Shri Asaduddin Owaisi and received their suggestions at Nirvachan Sadan today,' the Election Commission of India wrote in a post on X.
Earlier today, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi warned that lakhs of people in Bihar could lose their citizenship and livelihoods if the Election Commission proceeds with its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls without adequate time and safeguards.
Calling the process rushed and impractical, Owaisi said even a 15-20 per cent error rate could have devastating consequences for marginalised communities ahead of the state elections.
Speaking after visiting the ECI office in Delhi, Owaisi said, 'Even if 15-20 per cent of people are missed from the list, they will also lose their citizenship. We are not against Special Intensive Revision (SIR), but time must be given.'
He stressed that the exercise, if conducted hastily, would not just deprive people of their voting rights but also threaten their right to livelihood.
Amid the criticism, the Election Commission on Sunday said the SIR process was progressing smoothly with active cooperation from electors on the ground. It said the initial phase of distributing Enumeration Forms was nearly complete, with forms made available to all electors who could be reached.
Earlier, the Supreme Court agreed to hear on July 10 a batch of petitions challenging the ECI's decision to conduct the SIR in Bihar. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi allowed senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Shadan Farasat to serve advance copies of the petitions to the Election Commission.
Bihar elections are expected to be held later this year in October or November; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
21 minutes ago
- Mint
EAM S Jaishankar lands in Beijing today, first visit in 5 years; set to meet Chinese counterpart Wang Yi
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will arrive in Beijing today. This would be Jaishankar's first visit to China after the ties between the two neighbouring countries came under severe strain following the 2020 military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Jaishankar will participate in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers on July 14-15. Before travelling to Tianjin for the SCO meeting, Jaishankar is expected to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues, including rare earth supplies to India, the Dalai Lama's succession, the recent India-Pakistan tensions, and the resumption of direct flights between the two countries. In the last few months, India and China have initiated a number of measures to repair the bilateral ties after completing the disengagement of troops from the last of the two face-off sites in October last year. Jaishankar's visit comes less than three weeks after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh travelled to the Chinese port city of Qingdao to participate in the SCO defence ministers' conference. The meeting was unable to issue a communique, as India refused to endorse the draft without referring to the Pahalgam terror attack. The SCO is a China-led multilateral group comprising nine permanent members, including India and Pakistan. China is the current chair of the SCO, and it is hosting the meetings of the grouping in that capacity. In December, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited Beijing and held the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary question with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang. Doval visited China last month as well for a meeting of top security officials of the SCO member nations. China is the current chair of the SCO, and it is hosting the meetings of the grouping in that capacity. In a statement on the SCO meeting, the Chinese foreign ministry mentioned that Jaishankar 'will also pay a visit to China.' 'The Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States will be held in Tianjin on July 15. At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, foreign ministers of other SCO member states and heads of SCO's permanent bodies will attend the meeting… In addition to attending the meeting, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will also pay a visit to China,' the statement quoting a government spokesperson said. The succession of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is a thorn in China-India relations, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi said on Sunday, ahead of Jaishankar's China visit. In a message posted on X on Sunday, Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India Yu King said that the Indian government has made political commitments to China. 'It recognizes that Xizang Autonomous Region is part of the territory of the People's Republic of China and India does not allow Tibetans to engage in political activities against China in India,' she added. Jaishankar's visit comes as India and China work to repair bilateral ties after years of tension. Before heading to China, Jaishankar held a series of extensive high-level interactions during his visit to Singapore on July 13, underscoring the importance India attaches to its ties with the country, the MEA highlighted in an official statement on Sunday. During the visit, he called on the President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam and held meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, the ministry said.
The Hindu
35 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Not foreigners, Biharis will decide fate of Bihar: BJP
The BJP on Sunday (July 13, 2025) slammed the Opposition parties for raising questions on the ongoing scrutiny of electoral rolls in Bihar and said only 'Biharis' will decide the fate of the State in the upcoming Assembly polls, not foreigners or illegal immigrants. The criticism came the same day officials said that field agents of the Election Commission have found "a large number of people" from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar in their house-to-house visits, made as part of the ongoing intensive review of the voter list in Bihar. They asserted that the names of illegal migrants will not be included in the final electoral roll, to be published on September 30. A proper enquiry of such people will be conducted after August 1. Asked for comment, BJP national spokesperson and former Union Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain told PTI Videos, "None of those who are residents of Bihar and valid voters in the state are facing any problem with the electoral rolls' revision." But illegal immigrants and foreigners like those from Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh cannot be included in the voter list, the BJP leader said. "Biharis will decide the fate of Bihar by casting their votes, not citizens of other countries," he added. Another BJP national spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, hit out at the Congress and the RJD, alleging that illegal immigrants from various countries were "brought and settled down" during their rule in the past. "They were provided with all kinds of identity cards. Now they are being weeded being ensured that only Indian citizens avail the right to vote as per the Constitution," he told PTI Videos. But Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav are trying to "build pressure" on the Election Commission by spreading "lies" about the ongoing SIR exercise in Bihar, Mr. Poonawalla alleged. "They talk about saving the Constitution, but they want to provide voting rights to foreigners and intruders whom they had brought and settled down during their (parties') is their mindset," he said, and accused the Congress and the RJD of keeping their "vote bank policy" above the Constitution.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
38 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Best of BS Opinion: Crashes, voter rolls, and fear of digital control
From aviation safety to electoral scrutiny, and from digital identity to market regulation, today's editorials and columns reflect a country and a world, grappling with systems that seem increasingly opaque and overburdened. A premature accident probe raises more questions than answers. The Election Commission's voter verification drive invites scrutiny over its methods. India's digital infrastructure is lauded even as concerns over data privacy grow. Let's dive in. The preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the Air India Dreamliner crash that killed 260 people last month has been met with criticism for being vague and speculative. The June 12 crash, which occurred just 30 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad, led to a deadly collision with a doctors' hostel. The AAIB suggests a fuel-control switch may have moved from 'run' to 'cut-off,' shutting down the engine, but fails to explain whether this was pilot error or a technical flaw. One pilot is heard questioning the other about the switch, but voices remain unidentified. Experts say the report's timeline is murky and that referencing a 2018 FAA alert without new technical data only fuels unverified theories. Despite international oversight and ministerial caution, the report raises more questions than it answers, notes our first editorial. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India is considering taking its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, currently under way in Bihar, to other states. This follows the Supreme Court's initial approval of the SIR as constitutionally valid. But civil society groups have warned that its execution may exclude marginalised voters. The ECI claims to have identified many individuals of foreign origin, but critics question how booth-level officers are making such determinations. The requirement of up to 11 documents for verification is a challenge in a state with high migration and low literacy, highlights our second editorial. The ECI says it has already covered 80 per cent of voters, but doubts persist over inclusivity. The top court will hear further petitions on July 28. Ajit Balakrishnan reflects on India's digital journey, praising Aadhaar and UPI but also questioning their implications in light of Rahul Bhatia's The Identity Project. While Aadhaar and UPI revolutionised access, critics warn they also enable surveillance. Globally, consent norms are tightening as seen in Google's $314 million fine in California. The column asks whether India should move towards stricter data ownership and opt-in systems. Meanwhile, Debashis Basu critiques Sebi's crackdown on Jane Street, linking it to deeper flaws in India's derivatives market. He argues the current system benefits governments, exchanges, and even regulators more than investors, while 90 per cent of retail traders lose money. The piece questions the legitimacy of India's oversized derivatives market. Finally, Sam Adler-Bell reviews, a book chronicling Biden's failed re-election bid and Trump's resurgent campaign. The book recounts internal dysfunction, missed warnings, and the slow unraveling of Democratic strategy, even as Kamala Harris tried to pick up the pieces. Stay tuned!
