NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday rejected source-based reports claiming that the Election Commission , during its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), found people from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar registered as voters in poll-bound Bihar.
"Who are these sources?" Tejashwi Yadav asked
Rubbishing the reports, the RJD leader also took a jibe at the "illegal voters" claim, saying: "These are the same sources that said Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore have been captured."
" Ye sootra ko hum mootra samajhte hai," the former Bihar deputy CM said.
He, however, said that the BJP-led NDA was "at fault for any dubious elements' names getting added to the voter lists ".
"SIR was conducted for the last time in 2003 under the UPA government. Since then, we have seen many elections, including the ones in 2014, 2019, and 2024. In those elections, we lost by three to four lakhs. Does that mean all these foreigners voted for PM Modi?... This means that the NDA are at fault for any dubious elements' names getting added to the voter lists."
He further said: That means all the elections they have won have been a fraud... SIR is a complete eyewash. The EC is working as a cell of a political party."
Earlier, news agency PTI reported, quoting EC officials, that the field-level officials of the Election Commission have identified "a large number" of individuals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar during ongoing house-to-house verification for the revision of the voters' list in Bihar.
As Bihar gears up for assembly polls later this year, the Election Commission’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has gained momentum -- and national significance. The exercise, which aims to weed out illegal migrants from voter lists, is expected to be expanded across the country, with a focus on verifying individuals’ place of birth.
Booth-level officers (BLOs), during their door-to-door verification drive, have reportedly encountered a notable number of suspected foreign nationals, based on ground-level findings. A full-scale verification process to determine the citizenship status of those flagged will begin after August 1.
The EC has made it clear that the names of illegal migrants will not be included in the final electoral roll, which is set to be published on September 30.
The initiative is being framed by the poll body as a necessary step to ensure that only eligible Indian citizens are included in the voter rolls. However, opposition parties have sharply criticised the move, warning it could result in the large-scale disenfranchisement of legitimate citizens.
"The revision is part of a wider crackdown on illegal immigration, particularly targeting those from Bangladesh and Myanmar."
On Friday, the Supreme Court backed the constitutionality of the EC’s efforts, but urged that Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards be accepted as valid documents for verification in the ongoing process.
Elections are also scheduled next year in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal -- states that could see similar scrutiny of their voter rolls as the crackdown expands.
"Who are these sources?" Tejashwi Yadav asked
Rubbishing the reports, the RJD leader also took a jibe at the "illegal voters" claim, saying: "These are the same sources that said Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore have been captured."
" Ye sootra ko hum mootra samajhte hai," the former Bihar deputy CM said.
He, however, said that the BJP-led NDA was "at fault for any dubious elements' names getting added to the voter lists ".
"SIR was conducted for the last time in 2003 under the UPA government. Since then, we have seen many elections, including the ones in 2014, 2019, and 2024. In those elections, we lost by three to four lakhs. Does that mean all these foreigners voted for PM Modi?... This means that the NDA are at fault for any dubious elements' names getting added to the voter lists."
He further said: That means all the elections they have won have been a fraud... SIR is a complete eyewash. The EC is working as a cell of a political party."
Earlier, news agency PTI reported, quoting EC officials, that the field-level officials of the Election Commission have identified "a large number" of individuals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar during ongoing house-to-house verification for the revision of the voters' list in Bihar.
As Bihar gears up for assembly polls later this year, the Election Commission’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has gained momentum -- and national significance. The exercise, which aims to weed out illegal migrants from voter lists, is expected to be expanded across the country, with a focus on verifying individuals’ place of birth.
Booth-level officers (BLOs), during their door-to-door verification drive, have reportedly encountered a notable number of suspected foreign nationals, based on ground-level findings. A full-scale verification process to determine the citizenship status of those flagged will begin after August 1.
The EC has made it clear that the names of illegal migrants will not be included in the final electoral roll, which is set to be published on September 30.
The initiative is being framed by the poll body as a necessary step to ensure that only eligible Indian citizens are included in the voter rolls. However, opposition parties have sharply criticised the move, warning it could result in the large-scale disenfranchisement of legitimate citizens.
"The revision is part of a wider crackdown on illegal immigration, particularly targeting those from Bangladesh and Myanmar."
On Friday, the Supreme Court backed the constitutionality of the EC’s efforts, but urged that Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards be accepted as valid documents for verification in the ongoing process.
Elections are also scheduled next year in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal -- states that could see similar scrutiny of their voter rolls as the crackdown expands.
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