The political landscape in State is witnessing intense confrontations over summary revision of electoral rolls. In a strongly-worded counter reply, the BJP put a question mark on opposition by asking when in power Congress oversaw the SIR process ten times and has no right to oppose it now, says Prem Shukla, BJP National Spokesperson. He further added, if the SIR process is ‘illegal,’ then why was it conducted 10 times during the Congress’ own tenure? Rahul Gandhi must answer this. Rahul Gandhi is shifting the blame for the Congress party’s electoral defeats onto constitutional institutions, said Prem Shukla. Khandelwal, along with Shukla, addressed a press conference at the BJP state office on Thursday. Meanwhile, BJP State President Hemant Khandelwal stated that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, efforts are being made to incite anarchy across the country. The SIR process is not new and has been conducted 12 times since independence and 10 of which occurred during the Congress party’s rule. Rahul Gandhi is making a malicious attempt to mislead the public by presenting a false and incorrect figure, claiming that 130 million names have been removed from the electoral rolls.

 

He is fostering anarchy in the country in an apparent attempt to keep foreign nationals and infiltrators on the voter lists. BJP National Spokesperson Prem Shukla noted that the Constitution designates Parliament as the forum for discourse between the ruling party and the opposition. Instead of engaging in debate within the House, Rahul Gandhi creates a ruckus. Having fled the Parliament, he now issues challenges for debates on the streets, a challenge he has no moral authority to make. On four separate occasions, when the Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, began to present its position in the House following a debate, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party chose to walk out. Those engaging in ‘Rahul-leela’ (political antics by Rahul Gandhi) are orchestrating a sinister conspiracy to spread anarchy in the country. Confusion is being sown by misrepresenting data from the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process: Hemant Khandelwal: BJP State President Hemant Khandelwal stated that the claim regarding the removal of 13 crore names from the electoral rolls is misleading. Rahul Gandhi and leaders of opposition parties are spreading confusion by mischaracterising the verification process, which identifies voters who are absent, have relocated, are deceased, or fall into other such categories. Instead of distorting the facts related to the SIR, Rahul Gandhi and the opposition leaders should place their trust in the established constitutional process.

 

The nation can only progress firmly if its democratic and constitutional foundations remain strong. It is, however, unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party, and other opposition leaders are targeting and attempting to discredit the country’s democratic and constitutional institutions. Rahul Gandhi is casting doubt on the credibility of these institutions. Under his leadership, various opposition political parties, along with forces intent on destabilising the nation’s democratic order, are actively at work. By targeting constitutional institutions, the opposition is attempting to create an atmosphere of anarchy and confusion. In response to this negative politics, the Bharatiya Janata Party has launched the ‘Save Democracy, End Anarchy’ (‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’) campaign, which will be extended to every district in Madhya Pradesh. Large-scale foot marches have already been conducted in Indore, Jabalpur, and Bhopal, with more planned for other districts in the coming days.

 

The participation of diverse sections of society in the foot march held in Indore, Jabalpur, and Bhopal serves as evidence of the public support this campaign is garnering. It is unfortunate to mislead the public by creating an unnecessary controversy over the SIR process: Hemant Khandelwal clarified that the ‘Special Intensive Revision’ (SIR) of the electoral rolls is not a new procedure. Since independence, this process has been carried out 10 times during the Congress party’s tenure. Under the BJP’s governance, this ‘Special Summary Revision’ (SSR) has taken place only twice, first during the tenure of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna, the late Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the second time under the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In this context, it is unfortunate that the opposition is creating unnecessary controversy over the SSR and misleading the public. Ensuring an accurate and transparent electoral roll is essential for strengthening democracy.

 

If a voter has passed away, their name should be removed from the electoral roll. If an individual’s name appears in two or three different locations, such duplication must be eliminated. Similarly, the name of any foreign national should not be included in the Indian electoral roll. All three of these points are logical and represent fundamental requirements of a democratic system. Removing ineligible or duplicate entries while ensuring that the names of eligible citizens remain intact is crucial for the credibility of the electoral process. It was noted that during the SSR process, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) worked alongside Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from all political parties, including both the BJP and the Congress.