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Slamming the RJD-Congress alliance for politicising the electoral roll revision process in Bihar, senior BJP leader and MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said that the Opposition's call for a statewide 'chakka jam' on July 9 will only heighten tensions at a time when the state needs peace.
His remarks come as RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, joined by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, announced the protest to oppose the Election Commission's move requiring fresh voter verification in the poll-bound state. Speaking to reporters, BJP MP Prasad said, "It is their right. Action is being taken, the police are doing their job. I will only say that if they organise such programmes for their politics, it also increases tension. Bihar needs peace right now. In the upcoming elections, everything will become clear as day." Earlier in the day, Tejashwi Yadav announced to organise a "chakka jam" (road blockade" along with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on July 9, opposing the Election Commisison of India's decision to conduct electoral revision in Bihar. "On July 9, I, along with Rahul Gandhi, will do a 'chakka jaam' (road blockade). The way voting rights of the people of Bihar are being snatched, their other rights will be taken away soon, and hence we will protest against this," he said. While addressing a press conference, Tejashwi Yadav continued to raise "deep concerns" over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which is being carried out in poll-bound Bihar. The RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday claimed that those who do not have any of the 11 documents asked for verification, their names will be "removed" from the electoral roll list. The Bihar Leader of Opposition (LoP) said that the opposition had met the Election Commission on July 5 to raise their concerns; however, they still haven't received any answers from the poll panel. "On July 5, we met the Election Commission of India and posed our questions before it. The worry is that we have no clarity from the EC so far. You all know that Bihar EC works only as a post office and has no authority to provide an answer. Why are they not answering the questions of the opposition and the people of Bihar. People of Bihar don't have the 11 documents which EC has asked for; rather, they have an Aadhaar card, MGNREGA card, and ration card. This is the only document that the poor people of Bihar have. It is clear that the people who do not have these 11 documents, their names will be removed," Yadav said. Since the announcement of the SIR of electoral rolls, the opposition parties have raised their concerns. Petitions challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) move to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar were filed in the Supreme Court, to which the top court has agreed to hear on July 10. The petitions were filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), activist Yogendra Yadav, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, and former Bihar MLA Mujahid Alam. The petitions sought a direction to quash the ECI's June 24 directive, which requires large sections of voters in Bihar to submit proof of citizenship to remain on the electoral rolls. (ANI)
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