Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], August 20 : BJP MLA from Balasore Manas Kumar Dutta has welcomed the Election Commission's decision to begin the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Odisha, saying the exercise had been a "long-standing demand of the common people."
Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Dutta said, "The start of SIR (Special Intensive Revision) in Odisha has been a long-standing demand of the common people. It will be initiated by the Election Commission in September. The Election Commission is working in the interest of the country."
Targeting the Congress and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for opposing the exercise, Dutta called their stance a "feudal mindset."
"Congress and BJD are displaying a feudal mindset. They think that if they lose, the Election Commission is wrong, and if they win, the EVM is fine. It is not Congress's rule that they will deploy their own agencies. The Election Commission is taking up public grievances and disposing of them. The public wants the SIR," the BJP leader said.
He further claimed that the BJD was upset because it had failed to recommend an SIR while in power. "BJD was in power for 24 years, but they did not recommend an SIR or an amendment in the electoral rolls. Their stomachs are hurting because they did not do the SIR; rather, the new government is doing it," he added.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Nishikant Mishra opposed what he described as a "Bihar-like SIR" in Odisha.
Referring to reports of large-scale deletions of names in Bihar, he said, "The Election Commission has announced the start of SIR in Odisha from September. Our demand will be that, just as 65 lakh voters were removed from the voter list in Bihar, this should not happen in Odisha. Under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, a voice is being raised against SIR across the country. If any irregularities occur during SIR in Odisha, our voice will be raised here too."