By Arun Srivastava
Apprehensions have come true. Supreme Court not staying further execution of SIR in Bihar and reluctant to direct the ECI to include Aadhaar, EPIC (Electoral Photo Identity Card) and the ration card as voter IDs has conjured it go ahead with its beseeched design to disenfranchise crores of Dalits , EBCs and Muslims. The EC consenting to SC’s suggestion was simply an eye wash and aimed at creating the impression that it was acting in a fair manner, committed to the democracy and constitutional provisions.
Unfortunately, the division bench did not construe the wicked designs of the ECI. Fear has also come to be proved right that a long gap till July 28, for the next hearing would provide the opportunity to ECI to circumvent the Supreme Court’s suggestion to reconsider the additions. The spiteful resolution of the ECI got exposed the very next day of the hearing on July 10. The ECI in an urgent message to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all other states directed them to begin preparations for a similar exercise with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date.
It is a very strategic move. The SC will hear the petitions on July 28 and the ECI has already directed the electoral officer of Bihar to complete the revision process by July 25. Its latest direction makes it amply clear that it has no intention to give more time or postpone the revision of roles for some more time. This will help EC to get away requesting the court it has already completed the task and it would be practically impossible to undertake the task afresh, for the second time.
Meanwhile sources maintain that the CEC order to state electoral officers does not mention that the three suggestions as put by SC have been incorporated along with other eleven documents need for enrolment of fresh names. The sources also maintain that ECI is of the view that once the process is set in, the SC would not direct to stop it.
Opposition parties have criticised the EC move and questioned the need for rushing for a nationwide SIR without consulting them. They have a valid argument, the EC should have waited for the matter to conclude in the Supreme Court before giving directions for a Bihar-like SIR. It nonetheless exposes the saffron conspiracy, being implemented by ECI, to disenfranchise crores of Dalits and Muslims and EBCs across the country. This has been the part of the saffron ecosystem’s nasty design to turn India into a state of pro-saffron Hindus.
The ECI told the INDIA Block delegation members at the last meeting, “SIR is a neutral clean up” and through it the undesirables were being cleaned and weeded out. Primarily Muslims have been the target, but the shifting of the political loyalty by Dalits, EBCs and proletariats, has brought them in the same bracket. The drive to remove the Muslims from the voters’ list is also badly effecting the Bengalis, especially the Bengali Muslims. Though the main focus has been on the Bengalis residing in Delhi, this is mainly being used against unorganised Bengali workers and labourers. The intensity of the crisis could be understood from the fact that Mamata Banerjee has decided to take out a protest rally on July 16., Wednesday in Kolkata in protest against the witch hunt of Bengali speaking Muslims in different BJP ruled states of the country and the SIR revision of electoral rolls.
She accused the BJP of exporting its “Bangla-Birodhi” (anti-Bengali) agenda beyond West Bengal. “Bengalis are being treated as infiltrators in BJP-ruled states,” she wrote, citing disturbing reports of persecution of Bengali-speaking citizens in Gujarat. The RSS and BJP are trying to reach out to Hindu Bengalis in Bengal, they look at them with contempt in other states. Sad enough every Bengali in other states is a Bangladeshi for the BJP. The ECI which had launched its SIR scheme to enable eligible voters “to exercise their franchise” has shifted its stand after June 24 to “no ineligible voter is included in the electoral rolls”. It is the process of verification of the identity of the voters is the key issue that has to be decided. Though ECI claims that it “would introduce complete transparency in the process of addition or deletion of electors in the electoral rolls”, in reality it is not at all in vogue.
The sources maintain that ECI at its meeting in the first week of June had decided to make EPIC a document and in a press release of June 18 had announced ‘ECI to fast-track EPIC delivery’ and that electors will get EPIC within 15 days of update in the electoral rolls. But soon it retreated and dropped it from the list of the documents. The reason for dropping was cited: “rapid urbanization, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants have necessitated the conduct of an intensive revision”.
The opposition leaders also allege that ECI is determined to finish the democratic election system, it is resorting to this mode of distorting the electoral process. The ECI is resorting to this mode notwithstanding SC telling it in clear words that verifying nationality was not its task. Even after this observation, if the ECI has directed the state electoral officers to carry out SIR, obviously it implied that they were disobeying the SC order. (IPA Service)
Trump Faces Revolt From His Young MAGA Supporters Of Florida Over Epstein Files 