Andalib Akhter / New Delhi
A highly charged debate on election reforms unfolded in the Lok Sabha, with opposition and ruling party MPs trading sharp accusations over the role of the Election Commission and the Special Identification Revision (SIR) exercise.
Participating in the discussion, Congress leader K. C. Venugopal said that the right to vote forms the core of democracy and accused the Election Commission of becoming partisan. He reiterated that just before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress party’s bank accounts were frozen over delayed income-tax filings and alleged large-scale voter deletions in Bihar.
Responding, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Opposition questions the electoral process whenever it loses elections. He pointed out that despite multiple rallies in Bihar and criticism of the SIR, the Congress secured only a few seats in the assembly polls. He urged the Opposition to introspect rather than target the Election Commission.
Trinamool Congress MP Shatabdi Roy alleged that the SIR is politically motivated and is causing distress in West Bengal, even claiming that BLOs have lost their lives due to the exercise. She added that if Bangladeshis and Rohingyas are entering India, it reflects government failure.
Samajwadi Party’s Dimple Yadav said the Election Commission must remain impartial, alleging the poll body is acting at the government’s direction.
Union Minister and Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel defended the SIR, calling it essential to identify illegal residents. She accused Congress of raising the issue to mask its electoral defeats and alleged the Opposition is supporting infiltrators.
BJP MP Kangana Ranaut said the Opposition attempted to disrupt the House over SIR, while the Modi government remains focused on the welfare of the poor and farmers.
National Conference MP Mian Altaf Ahmad urged the Election Commission to ensure every part of the electoral process remains clean and free from pressure, noting that innocent lives should not be at risk. JMM’s Vijay Kumar Hansdak said multiple parties had submitted evidence of electoral lapses to the Commission, but no action was taken.
Congress MP Mohammad Jawed alleged that SIR in Bihar amounted to “systemic institutional rigging.” The debate was initiated yesterday by Congress leader Manish Tewari.