Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 4 Aug: BJP today rejected the Congress allegation that its supporters’ names are being struck off the electoral rolls, calling the charge as baseless and politically motivated. In a statement issued today, BJP State President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt asserted that the names being removed belong to ineligible voters and infiltrators, and if most of them are Congress supporters, then the party must reflect on why this is so. He accused the Congress party of attempting to mislead people and divert attention by questioning a constitutional process.
Bhatt said that Congress leaders are spreading lies and confusion about Form 7 and other procedures under the SIR, whereas the purpose of the exercise was simply to purify and update the voters’ lists. He explained that names of those who are deceased, ineligible or have shifted elsewhere are removed as part of a legal process, and Form 7 is a constitutional provision allowing objections to such entries. He stressed that no valid voter’s name can be deleted, and therefore no one needs to fear.
Responding sharply, Bhatt asked why those found to be fake, ineligible or unqualified voters always turn out to be Congress supporters. He alleged that Congress’s pain is not for democracy but for the erosion of its vote bank, which includes the infiltrators. He said the party is trying to provide political protection to a particular section of illegal voters, and hence is now feeling huge discomfort when their names are being struck off.
Reiterating the BJP’s stand, Bhatt said that Uttarakhand’s future and its government will be decided only by the respected people of Devbhoomi, not by fake voters or infiltrators. He asserted that the cleansing of the electoral rolls would continue firmly within the ambit of law.
