Lucknow, Dec 13 (PTI) Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday alleged that a company, which had donated electoral bonds to the BJP, was involved in the SIR-related mapping.
According to a statement issued here, addressing a press conference in Hyderabad after the Vision India AI Summit, Yadav claimed, "The company knows where the data is going. The BJP is conducting Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to win elections through manipulation."
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister questioned the credibility of the mapping app being used in the exercise, alleging discrepancies in the data.
Yadav said the BJP-led government is using the SIR of electoral rolls as an "NRC” (National Register of Citizens), claiming that the exercise can potentially affect the votes of nearly three crore people in Uttar Pradesh.
The SP chief said, "The Election Commission's job is to make votes, not cut them. No one's vote should be deleted, but in the name of SIR, the government is conducting the NRC. In Uttar Pradesh, votes of nearly three crore people are being cut."
Yadav further said politics in the country should be based on "vision, not division", accusing the BJP of pursuing divisive politics.
"We want to do politics of vision. The politics of division and polarisation in the country must be stopped," he said.
Speaking about technology and artificial intelligence (AI), Yadav said the Samajwadi Party believed in development and progressive politics. He underlined that rapid technological changes were taking place globally and stressed that the benefits of technology should reach everyone without discrimination on the basis of caste or religion.
"We want AI to evolve in such a way that discrimination is eliminated," he said.
Yadav also raised concerns over the misuse of technology, claiming that Uttar Pradesh ranked number one in cyber fraud cases and that online scams were on the rise. He alleged misuse of AI and deep fake videos on political platforms and cited reports of intrusive camera surveillance on expressways.
"While AI can help in traffic management, health and education, its misuse is also a serious issue, and we must remain cautious," he said.
Referring to the AI summit, Yadav said extensive discussions were held on improving solid waste management, traffic systems, power supply, water management, air quality and the use of AI in policing.
"When the Samajwadi Party forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, we will ensure better use of artificial intelligence for public welfare," he said, adding, "For us, true AI is that which ensures the welfare of all."