Hyderabad: BJP state president N Ramchander Rao on Monday accused the Congress, BRS, and AIMIM of resorting to mudslinging for political gains and of fearing the loss of bogus votes in the purification of electoral rolls initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Accusations of Misleading the Public
Ramchander Rao stated that the three parties are misleading the public and spreading false information about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. He emphasized that the SIR has been successfully carried out 12 times across the country so far. The process is conducted solely for registering new voters, deleting the names of deceased individuals, and modifying the details of those who have changed addresses.
Constitutional Mandate
Ramchander Rao clarified that the SIR is not a program launched personally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the central government but a continuous, constitutionally mandated process conducted by the ECI. He questioned why objections are being raised now when multiple SIRs were conducted under Congress regimes between 1951 and 2002 without any issues. He noted that the BJP, as a responsible opposition, had welcomed the ECI's decision, but Congress and BRS are now speaking in one voice to mislead the public through a conspiratorial campaign.
Criticism of Congress Leaders
Ramchander Rao dismissed criticism from self-proclaimed intellectual Congress leaders who claim the BJP won in West Bengal because of the SIR. He pointed out that the same SIR process took place in Kerala when the Congress-led UDF won, and they did not object then. He emphasized that victory and defeat in politics depend entirely on the people's mandate.
Legal and Constitutional Basis
Ramchander Rao reminded that the SIR process is constitutional and carried out under the Representation of the People Act. He noted that the Supreme Court delivered a clear 124-page judgment confirming that under Rule 21A, the Election Commission has full authority to delete ineligible votes.
Concerns About Illegal Infiltrators
Expressing concern, Ramchander Rao said that along the country's borders, such as in Bihar and West Bengal, and in Hyderabad's Old City, illegal infiltrators like Rohingyas, Bangladeshis, and Pakistanis are obtaining fake Aadhaar cards and ration cards with the support of certain local political parties to register as voters. He claimed that up to 200 bogus votes exist in a single house in the Old City.
Questioning the Chief Minister
Ramchander Rao questioned whether Chief Minister Revanth Reddy lacks confidence in his own staff, given that the Congress government is in power in the state. He noted that a rule providing for a one-year prison sentence for submitting a false declaration has been in place for a long time.
