JMM MP Slams EC Over Alleged Voter Deletion
JMM MP Vijay Hansdak slams the Election Commission over the alleged deletion of 13 crore voters' names ahead of the INDIA bloc protest.
In a stinging critique of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Vijay Kumar Hansdak has accused the institution of undermining democracy by stripping citizens of their fundamental right to vote.
The remarks come at a critical juncture as the INDIA bloc prepares for a major protest march towards Nirvachan Sadan, the ECI headquarters, to demand accountability for recent electoral roll discrepancies.
Internal Questions Being Raised
Hansdak, the MP from Rajmahal, suggested that the concerns regarding institutional integrity are no longer limited to political opposition. He claimed that even voices from within the administrative system are beginning to question the current functioning of the Commission.
"Given the role the Election Commission has played and the way appointments were made, questions are now being raised not just by the opposition, but from within those offices as well," Hansdak stated while discussing the growing scrutiny surrounding the ECI.
The 13 Crore Voter Controversy
The core of the opposition's grievance lies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. According to Hansdak, this process has resulted in the removal of names of more than 13 crore voters across the country, a move he described as an unacceptable misuse of power in a free nation.
The JMM leader emphasized that the role of the Election Commission has been under intense scrutiny for a significant period, but the scale of the recent voter deletions has brought the issue to a boiling point.
Allegations of Institutional Compromise
The JMM MP, whose father Thomas Hansdak was a former Jharkhand Congress president, leveled broader accusations against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging a systematic pattern of compromising democratic institutions. He claimed that the deployment of security forces and certain electoral manipulations in various states have been used to favor the BJP.
"There are examples from many states where the election process was virtually destroyed and manipulated entirely in favour of the BJP. This is never in the interest of a free country," Hansdak added.
INDIA Bloc and BJD to Join Protest March
The protest in New Delhi is part of a larger "Save Democracy" campaign launched by the opposition. The march aims to protest against the alleged arbitrary actions of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
In a significant show of unity, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has also announced its participation in the march, joining leaders from various INDIA bloc parties to demand transparency and the restoration of voting rights for the millions of citizens affected by the recent electoral roll revisions.