Bihar Voter List Scam: There has been such a earthquake in the politics of Bihar, whose echo is now being heard all over the country. In fact, the controversy over the ongoing ‘Special Intensive Revision’ (SIR) process in Bihar is getting so deeper that now the cracks inside the NDA are also visible in its noise. The shocking thing is that the protest is no longer limited to the opposition, but the BJP’s ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) itself has also strongly objected to this. Chandrababu Naidu’s party MP Krishna Devleu has written a letter to the Election Commission and described SIR as a “pseudo medium of citizenship verification”. He has clearly stated that the purpose of this process is not the correctness of the voter list, but a scope of citizenship.
TDP’s strict objection: “This is not voter verification, voter exploitation”
MP Krishna Devleu used a lot of words in a letter sent to the Election Commission. He warned that such procedures weaken democracy, especially when they are associated with citizenship documents. He also said that it is the responsibility of the Commission to update the voter list, not to put voters in the dock. Not only this, Devarayalu also demanded that if the SIR -like process is to be implemented in Andhra Pradesh in 2029, then it should be started immediately, so that the voters get enough time. But just a few months before the assembly elections in Bihar, implementing such a process directly raises questions on electoral impartiality.
“The atmosphere of fear, search of identity”, is this democracy of new India?
Millions of voters in Bihar are currently living between confusion and fear. The process of booth level officers (BLOS) knocking from house to house to seeking evidence of citizenship has caused panic in the minds of the general public. Especially among the poor, Dalit, backward and minority communities, it is feared that their right to vote should not be taken away. Under SIR, 8 crore voters of the state will have to submit their name, address and identity documents again. Born after 2003, new voters are being asked till the date of birth of their parents. Is this a normal update of the voter list or hidden NRC?
ECI’s argument: “It is important to stop infiltration”, but at what cost?
The Election Commission says that the purpose of this entire exercise is to make the voter list ‘pure’, so that intruders do not become a part of the voting process. The Commission has claimed that hundreds of people from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar have been caught so far. But the question arises, is it a solution to see every voter of the country with suspicion? Will every citizen now have to prove himself Indian before casting his vote? And that too at a time when the assembly elections are standing on the head?
Opposition allegations: “Sir = NRC 2.0”
All opposition parties including RJD, TMC and Congress have directly described this campaign as a new version of NRC. RJD MP Manoj Jha, TMC’s Mahua Moitra and ADR have filed a petition in the Supreme Court, calling this process unconstitutional. He says that the revision of the voter list is a common process, but when the demand for citizenship documents is added to it, it becomes a political tactic, not just administrative.
Political heat in Bihar at its peak
This opposition to TDP is not only technical, but also political. This is the same party that has supported the Narendra Modi government many times, but never back down from asking questions. In such a situation, this protest may be an indication that there is no union inside the NDA on issues like SIR. Will the BJP now ignore the concern of its own alliance alliance? Will Bihar elections be fair and fear -free? Or will it become another chapter of “democracy in the shadow of fear”?
Will the franchise protect or identity test?
The questions raised about SIR in Bihar are now becoming a democratic crisis, not only administrative. The biggest democratic strength of the country, voters, today is looking for documents to prove itself in their own country. Is this the 21st century India? Will the right to vote of a common man depend on the papers kept in his pocket? The public will have to answer this conspiracy, by vote, by question and courage.
