Former Law Minister Backs Justice Bhuyan on Mass Voter Deletions
Former law minister Ashwini Kumar calls mass voter deletions a sad day for democracy, echoing Justice Ujjal Bhuyan's remarks on disenfranchisement.
Former Law Minister Ashwini Kumar has come out in strong support of Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan’s recent observations regarding the mass disenfranchisement of citizens. Speaking on the critical issue of voters being removed from electoral rolls, Kumar described the situation as a "sad day for Indian democracy."
A Blow to Democratic Sanctity
The former minister emphasized that the remarks made by Justice Bhuyan reflect the collective conscience of the nation regarding the large-scale removal of names from voter lists. He stressed that for a democracy to function effectively, the electoral process must remain transparent and fair for every citizen.
"It is indeed a sad day for Indian democracy that crores of people have been disenfranchised through processes whose legal validity has come under severe scrutiny and doubt," Kumar stated. He further urged all political parties to work toward ensuring that the sanctity of the individual vote is preserved at all costs.
Justice Bhuyan on 'Second-Class Citizens'
The debate follows scathing remarks from Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, who addressed the implications of mass deletions in the voter registry. Justice Bhuyan argued that any procedure that leads to the disenfranchisement of millions is inherently flawed.
"If any process results in disenfranchising millions and millions of Indian citizens, making them second-class citizens in their own country, in the sense of being citizens without a voting right, such a process is intrinsically arbitrary. No amount of whataboutery can justify it," the Justice remarked.
Conflicting Views on Voter List Revisions
While Kumar and Bhuyan highlighted the risks of arbitrary deletions, former Uttarakhand High Court judge Lokpal Singh offered a contrasting perspective. Singh defended the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its routine procedures in updating voter lists.
Singh argued that intensive revisions are a normal part of the ECI's year-round operations to add or delete names. He specifically pointed toward the necessity of removing illegal entries, particularly in border states where infiltration is a significant concern.
The Infiltration Argument
Addressing the concerns raised by various institutions regarding bulk deletions in specific regions, Singh noted the complexities involved in states like Bihar and West Bengal. He highlighted that the issue of infiltration from adjoining Bangladesh cannot be denied and affects the accuracy of voter lists.
"So far as gross deletion of names is concerned, it is the ECI that can see it better," Singh said. He suggested that while many institutions question the bulk deletion of names, the presence of fake votes due to infiltration is a reality that must be managed by the commission.