New Delhi [India], July 23 : Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday criticised the Election Commission over its move to flag 52 lakhs voters in Bihar, alleging that a false narrative is being pushed around 'illegal voters' and accused the authorities of creating a conspiracy to 'disenfranchise' voters.
"A narrative around 'illegal voters' is being made. But a responsibility has been imposed on the legitimate voters to present documents that most people don't have... If Ration Card and Aadhar Card are not proof of residence and individuality, what are they for? A conspiracy has been created to disenfranchise voters," she said.
The Bhartiya Janata Party is facing intense criticism from the opposition over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, both inside and outside parliament, with the opposition protesting against the SIR.
Amidst opposition protests against the SIR being conducted by the Election Commission (EC) in Bihar, Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi also made sensational claims on Wednesday, saying that an "election theft" is ongoing in the country.
"Hindustan mein election chori kiye jaa rahe hai (Election/Votes are being stolen in India)," Gandhi told reporters here.
The Lok Sabha LoP was responding to a question about 52 lakh voters being removed from the voter list in Bihar amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Earlier, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Tuesday that more than 52.30 lakh voters were not found at their registered addresses during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
According to the poll body, 52,30,126 electors, amounting to 6.62 per cent of the state's total registered voters, were either deceased, had shifted permanently, were enrolled at multiple locations, or were untraceable.
Of the total, nearly 18.5 lakh electors were reported as deceased, 26 lakh had permanently shifted, and nearly 7.5 lakh electors were found to be enrolled at multiple places, and around 11,000 voters were not traceable.
The ECI has shared the list of these names with the 1.5 Lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by district presidents of 12 major political parties in Bihar. These BLAs have been actively cooperating in finding the status of electors not found at their addresses.