TMC MP Sushmita Dev Criticizes Bihar Voter List Revision as Exclusionary

On Wednesday, Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev took a firm stand by submitting an Adjournment Motion in the Rajya Sabha, seeking a discussion about the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls underway in Bihar.

In her letter addressed to the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha, Dev leveled serious accusations against the government. She claimed that the administration was leveraging the Election Commission of India as a vehicle to enact an exclusionary agenda. According to her, this agenda manifested under the guise of revising voter lists and aimed to strip voting rights from substantial segments of society.

Dev alleged that this exercise posed a grave threat, potentially disenfranchising up to two crore voters by demanding documents like parental birth certificates and domicile proof, which many citizens lack. She criticized the process for targeting the poor, migrants, and marginalized communities, asserting it seemed more focused on exclusion than genuine electoral roll updating.

Despite public outcry about excluding documents like Aadhaar and ration cards from the verification process, the Election Commission persists with its stance, Dev claimed. She highlighted logistical challenges, noting the revision occurs amidst monsoon floods and peak migration, complicating compliance for many citizens. Her concerns were echoed in the Lok Sabha by Congress MP Manickam Tagore, who similarly condemned the SIR exercise as 'dangerous and unconstitutional' in his Adjournment Motion notice.

Tagore criticized the Modi government, accusing it of manipulating the Election Commission to disenfranchise the economically and socially disadvantaged in Bihar. He claimed the SIR resembled colonial practices, suggesting a revival of systems where only property owners had voting rights. He further alleged that the effort reflected a 'Manuwadi mindset', contravening the constitutional right to vote.

(With inputs from agencies.)