Patna, Jun 27 (PTI) The opposition INDIA bloc in Bihar on Friday strongly opposed the Election Commission’s (EC) proposed intensive revision of electoral rolls ahead of the state assembly elections.
Averment to this effect came at a joint press conference here addressed by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Congress' media and publicity department chief Pawan Khera and CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, among others.
"We suspect that this exercise, which seeks documents from voters that few might possess, is aimed at disenfranchising a large number of people — especially those from deprived sections of society," alleged Tejashwi Yadav, a former Deputy CM who is currently the leader of the opposition.
He alleged, "Once names are struck off the voters' list, the next step could be depriving these people of the benefits of social welfare schemes".
The young leader remarked, "It is impossible for the EC to conduct such a mammoth exercise in just 25 days, as it has proposed. If, indeed, it is possible, I would challenge the Centre to get the caste census done in two months flat".
Speaking on the occasion, Khera said, "Mahatma Gandhi's three monkeys saw, heard and spoke no evil. The EC sees, hears and speaks no truth. When our leader Rahul Gandhi raised doubts over the way assembly polls were held in Maharashtra, the rebuttal came from the BJP".
He also claimed that for the EC, Bihar was a "laboratory" and similar experiments could follow elsewhere in the country.
Bhattacharya, who had written to the EC voicing his opposition a day ago, claimed that the proposed exercise would be a "logistical nightmare".