Latest news with #Aadhaar-VoterID
Hindustan Times
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
No ‘suspicious voters' category under law, EC tells Rajya Sabha
Amid the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha, through the law ministry, that there is no separate category of 'suspicious voters' under the Representation of People Act, 1951. No 'suspicious voters' category under law, EC tells Rajya Sabha In a written response to a query raised by Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman on whether electors classified as 'suspicious' had cast votes in the 2024 general elections, the Union minister of state for law and justice Arjun Ram Meghawal said, 'The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed that there is no category of suspicious voters as per the Representation of People Act, 1951.' The poll body's clarification comes amid concerns raised over the SIR exercise in Bihar, which started on June 24. ECI had cited the inclusion of 'foreign illegal immigrants' in the electoral rolls as one of the reasons for conducting the revision, alongside other factors like rapid urbanisation and migration. ECI also pointed out that during the revision process, illegal immigrants from countries such as Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh had been identified. In a separate response to a question by RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha who inquired about the status of Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage and related discrepancies, Meghwal confirmed that the linking process has not yet commenced. He said, 'The Election Commission vide its instruction dated 4th July, 2022, has launched the programme to collect the Aadhaar number of existing and prospective electors on a voluntary basis from 1st August, 2022, in all States and Union territories. The linking of Aadhaar with Election Photo Identity Card has not yet started.' Further clarifying the legal position, Meghwal stated that the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021, allows Electoral Registration Officers (ELOs) to request voters to voluntarily provide their Aadhaar numbers for linking with their voter ID cards. He added that the linkage process is still pending. Due to the delay in the Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage, the poll body mentioned that Jha's other questions regarding the number of voters whose Aadhaar details were mismatched or who were removed from the voter list did not arise.
India Gazette
12-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Linking Aadhaar to Voter ID different from using it as ID proof," Congress's Manish Tewari responds to Amit Malviya
New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): Congress MP Manish Tewari has responded to BJP leader Amit Malviya's criticism of the Congress party's stand on Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage, stating there is a clear difference between linking Aadhaar to Voter ID and using Aadhaar, which contains biometric identifiers, merely as proof of identity. In a post on X, Manish Tewari wrote, 'It does not really require rocket science to figure out that there is a difference between linking the Aadhar ID to the Voter ID and the Aadhar ID that has biometric identifier's being used as proof of identity.' Earlier, BJP leader Amit Malviya hit out at the Congress over what he described as a 'shameless flip-flop' in its stand on Aadhaar and Voter ID linkage. In his post on X, Malviya pointed to Congress' protests in Parliament in 2021 against the Centre's proposal to link Aadhaar with Voter ID, and compared it to the party's current stand. '2021: Modi government proposes voluntary linking of Voter ID with Aadhaar. Congress protests inside Parliament with placards screaming: 'Aadhaar is just for targeted delivery of benefits. It can't be linked with Voter ID!' Malviya's post read. The post added, '2025: Congress now wants Aadhaar to verify Voter ID. Same Aadhaar. Same Voter ID. Just exposed hypocrisy. Anything for votes--even if it means shameless flip-flops!' Malviya's remarks came in response to an ongoing debate over the use of Aadhaar in the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll in Bihar. On Thursday, the Supreme Court allowed the Election Commission to continue with its exercise of conducting a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The Election Commission launched the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to update the state's electoral rolls. However, opposition parties have raised concerns, arguing that the short timeline and strict requirements could lead to the exclusion of many eligible voters. (ANI)
