&w=3840&q=100)
ECI abusing powers, must be fought politically, legally: Chidambaram
The former home minister said the Bihar voter revision exercise is getting curiouser and curiouser.
While 65 lakh voters are in danger of being disenfranchised in Bihar, reports of 'adding' 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu is alarming and patently illegal, Chidambaram said in a post on X.
"Calling them 'permanently migrated' is an insult to the migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice," the Rajya Sabha MP said.
Why should the migrant worker not return to Bihar or his/her home state to vote in the State Assembly election, as they usually do, Chidambaram asked.
"Does not the migrant worker return to Bihar at the time of the Chhath puja festival?" he said.
"A person to be enrolled as a voter must have a fixed and permanent legal home. The migrant worker has such a home in Bihar (or another state). How can he/she be enrolled as a voter in Tamil Nadu?" Chidambaram said.
If the migrant worker's family has a permanent home in Bihar and lives in Bihar, how can the migrant worker be considered as "permanently migrated" to Tamil Nadu, he further asked.
"The ECI is abusing its powers and trying to change the electoral character and patterns of States. This abuse of powers must be fought politically and legally," Chidambaram said.
The opposition has been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR, alleging the EC's exercise was aimed at "disenfranchising voters" in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses of Parliament.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
8 minutes ago
- Indian Express
NSUI demands student union polls: Rajasthan Congress leaders face water cannons, over 30 detained
National Students' Union of India (NSUI) workers and senior Congress leaders, including AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot, on Monday staged a protest in Jaipur demanding the immediate restoration of student union elections. The Rajasthan Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters when, after a demonstration, tried to breach police barricades to march towards the chief minister's residence in Civil Lines area. A mild scuffle broke out between the police and NSUI workers, after which over 30 party leaders and workers, including Ladnun MLA Mukesh Bhakar and NSUI state president Vinod Jakhar, were detained. Speaking to the media after the protest, Pilot accused the BJP government in the state led by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma of deliberately delaying various elections, including panchayat and urban body polls. He said the state government was working in a dictatorial manner, taking inspiration from Delhi. 'This is a double-engine government that is doing nothing. When elections arrive, they raise issues of Hindu-Muslim, temple-mosque and try to polarise voters. If people continue to vote based on religion and caste, this will happen,' he said. 'They are scared to lose, hence they are adopting tactics to crush the voice of students,' he said. Pilot claimed that students across the state are seeking elections and criticised the BJP for having 'no valid reason' to halt the process. Responding to the allegations, Deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa said it was the previous Congress government under Ashok Gehlot that had stopped the student union elections. Students should be questioning Ashok Gehlot about why elections weren't held during his tenure. We are committed to the welfare of students,' Bairwa stated.
Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
EC suspends 5 officials over Bengal ‘fake voters'
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken action in a case of alleged voter fraud in West Bengal, ordering the suspension of five officers and an FIR against them. The allegations include the fraudulent registration of voters using forged documents across two assembly constituencies. Those suspended include two West Bengal Civil Service officers serving as Electoral Registration Officers, and two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers from the Baruipur Purba and Moyna assembly constituencies. A data entry operator has also been named in the FIR, which alleges criminal misconduct. The ECI's investigation was prompted by a report from the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, highlighting alleged irregularities. Following the report, the ECI wrote to the state's Chief Secretary, directing immediate action. In its letter, the ECI emphasised the statutory duties of electoral officials under the Representation of People Act, 1950. It noted that EROs are the statutory authorities for preparing and revising electoral rolls, and that all officers involved in the election process are on 'deputation to the Election Commission,' making them subject to its control and discipline. The ECI stressed Section 32 of the Act, which states that any electoral officer who is found to be in breach of their official duty without reasonable cause is punishable with imprisonment for a term of up to two years and a fine. 'It has been reported that the said officers have not only failed to perform their duty as ERO and AERO while disposing of the (Form 6) applications, but also violated the policy of data security while sharing their login credentials of the ER database with unauthorised persons,' states the Election Commission's letter. Form 6 is the application form for inclusion of a new voter's name in the electoral roll. According to sources, the five officials and one data operstor have been found involved in wrongful addition of names in the rolls. The ECI's decision drew varied responses from political parties in the state, with the BJP and the Congress welcoming the step. BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya said that 'national security had been compromised'. 'We welcome this step by the Commission. The removal of fake voters from the list is not just BJP's demand but also something that all people of Bengal want,' Bhattacharya said. TMC leader Debangshu Bhattacharya responded cautiously: 'If someone is at fault, has done something wrong, and is being punished, then there is nothing to say.' However, he raised concerns that the action might be a 'ploy by the EC, which we obviously think is backed by the BJP, to terrorise ground-level administrative officials.' Congress spokesperson Somyo Aich questioned the motive behind the fake voter registrations, saying, 'The habit of giving entry to fake voters in the electoral roll, who is doing this? Why do they want fake voters?' He said that some officers might be acting 'out of fear', and urged the Commission to 'find out which political party is involved'. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Day after SC rap to lok sabha LoP over comments on Army, Opp bloc backs Rahul: ‘Judges can't decide who is true Indian'
A day after the Supreme Court censured Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his alleged remarks against the Army in the wake of the 2020 Galwan clash with the Chinese, saying, 'If you are a true Indian, you would not say all these things', Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and the INDIA bloc parties Tuesday rallied behind him, asserting it is not up to the judges to decide who is a 'true Indian'. Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Priyanka said that as the LoP, Rahul was doing his duty to ask questions of the government. 'Who is a true Indian and who is not. With all due respect, I am saying that this doesn't fall under the judiciary's ambit. No justice will decide this. The second is that Rahul Gandhi has always respected the Army, the forces and its officers… The LOP's duty is to ask questions of the government. He is doing his duty. He asks questions of the government, which doesn't like them and doesn't want to answer those questions,' she said. Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said Rahul Gandhi's remarks are the thoughts of every Indian. 'When we ask questions inside the House or outside, they (the government) do not answer. We are termed anti-national for asking questions. But we are the true Indians who demand answers,' he told reporters in the Parliament House complex. The issue of the court's observation was also discussed during a meeting of the INDIA bloc floor leaders on Tuesday, after which the Congress said 'all the leaders of the INDIA bloc parties agreed that the sitting judge has made an extraordinary observation which is unwarranted on the democratic rights of political parties'. Asked about impasse in Parliament over opposition demand for a debate on the electoral roll revision, Vadra put the blame on the government. 'The Parliament is not functioning. They (government) should hold talks, and say they will have a discussion. How difficult is it to run Parliament? Have they become so weak that they can't run the House? … It is their failure that the Parliament is not functioning.'
