As the SIR of electoral rolls kick-started in Karnataka on Tuesday, state Home Minister Priyank Kharge once again asked the ECI to answer the questions asked by the Congress on the process.
Raising doubts over the SIR process, he said the Election Commission should answer the questions since people cannot approach the BJP head office to clear their confusions on the issue.
Kharge clarified that the party was never against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) but wanted the electoral roll to be created properly and accurately, a job which the ECI can do.
"What we are saying is include everyone who is eligible. In West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, a great deal of confusion has been created among citizens. Is it wrong for us to ask that such confusion should not happen here," the minister, who is Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge’s son, told reporters here.
According to him, the Congress had asked the Election Commission 12 questions but the ECI did not feel proper enough to answer them.
"Let the ECI point out which of our 12 questions is illogical, unconstitutional or illegal. We are ready. Do they alone know the law? Do they alone know the Constitution? If we have doubts, should we not ask the Election Commission? What are we supposed to do—submit our letters at the BJP office? We have approached the authority that is responsible. It is for them to respond," the minister said.
Taking a swipe at the BJP, he said, "If you ask the Election Commission a question, the BJP answers. If you ask the RSS a question, the BJP answers. Except for matters concerning their own party, they answer everything else. Isn't that strange?" Kharge alleged that the BJP government at the Centre has made the ECI its "puppet".
"The government at the Centre has tried to make the Election Commission its puppet. In fact, they have already done so," the minister alleged.
He said the Chief Justice of India used to be part of the selection panel for the Chief Election Commissioner. The CJI was removed and replaced with a Cabinet Minister, which means, whoever is selected, the three-member panel will effectively have to follow the Prime Minister's wishes.
He added that after suspending 80 Members of Parliament, the BJP gave judicial immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner through a law, which means, while discharging his duties, whatever he does cannot be questioned under any law or in any court.
Kharge said after getting judicial immunity, the ECI introduced the SIR.
"They experimented (SIR) in Kerala, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, where several shortcomings came to light. In West Bengal, they introduced the concept of ‘logical discrepancy’. Under the pretext of logical discrepancy, many people were removed from the rolls," the minister said.
He added that a tribunal was set up, which was headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. Around 27 lakh petitions were filed before the tribunal. That retired Supreme Court judge eventually resigned, saying the work could not be completed and would take four years.
"Then the court said those people would not be able to vote this time and the matter would be considered next time. Understand the chronology. Why is all this being done? To take away your rights," Kharge alleged.
The minister charged that in Assam delimitation was carried out and the demographic balance was changed.
He further said that the BJP introduced the Women's Reservation Bill and now they want to keep control of the Delimitation Commission in their own hands.
"Why are they so desperate for a two-thirds majority today? Why are they targeting the TMC, the Samajwadi Party and the NCP? Because with a two-thirds majority, they can once again bring that Bill and take control of the Delimitation Commission," Kharge alleged.
He said the Congress is fighting against these practices.
