New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday alleged a covert alliance between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), raising serious questions over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. He claimed the exercise was a “backdoor route to bring back the NRC” and accused the government of pushing for “majoritarian” and “authoritarian” rule in the country.
Speaking to news agency , Sibal said:
“It is being said that this exercise is a pilot project; It is another way to get back NRC…They want to impose majoritarian rule in India. They don’t want anyone else to come to power in India. In Maharashtra, they increased the number of votes, and here they are reducing them. It is my allegation that there is a partnership between the Election Commission and them (BJP).”
Sibal’s comments come after the Supreme Court of India on Thursday allowed the Election Commission to continue with the SIR process in Bihar, a poll-bound state where Assembly elections are due in November.
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi declined to stay the revision process but issued a crucial directive to the ECI:
“We are of the prima facie opinion that in the interest of justice, the Election Commission will also include documents like Aadhaar, Ration Card, Voter ID card, etc. It is for the ECI to decide whether it wants to accept the documents or not, and if it does not, then provide reasons for its decision, which shall be sufficient to satisfy the petitioners. Meanwhile, petitioners are not pressing for an interim stay.”
Sibal pointed to discrepancies in voter data revisions in different states, saying that while Maharashtra saw an increase in voters, the voter count in Bihar is reportedly being reduced.
The controversy stems from opposition fears that the SIR could disenfranchise sections of the population, especially the poor and minorities, under the guise of electoral cleansing.
The SC’s direction to include common identification documents in the SIR process was seen as a measure to ensure fairness and transparency, particularly given the tight timeline before the upcoming elections.