Stories
Owaisi Calls Electoral Roll Revision a 'Backdoor NRC,' Questions Election Commission's Internal Differences
- •AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi alleged the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is a "backdoor NRC" and criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) over reported internal disagreements.
- •Owaisi cited an Indian Express report claiming two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, objected 14 times to decisions made without their knowledge during the SIR process.
- •He expressed concern about people in his constituency facing difficulties with missing names in electoral lists and the requirement for declarations under Form 6.
- •Owaisi questioned the ECI's explanation regarding a letter to the Cabinet Secretary, arguing that a constitutional body should not need to write such a letter over an officer on deputation.
- •He criticized the process of appointing Election Commissioners, stating it undermines public credibility, and urged the ECI to disclose the specific decisions made during the SIR process.
Key Questions Answered
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticized the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, calling it a "backdoor NRC" that could lead to a permanent class of excluded citizens and create massive difficulties for voters whose names are missing from electoral lists.
A report by The Indian Express revealed that two of the three Election Commissioners raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period regarding decisions and orders issued during the SIR process without their knowledge or consultation.
The Election Commission of India stated that all decisions related to the schedule of the SIR process were taken with the unanimous approval of the Commission, clarifying that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary concerned an officer on deputation rather than policy matters.
