On a day the government indicated that it is unlikely to allow a debate on the ongoing special intensive revision in Bihar, Trinamool Congress’s Rajya Sabha Parliamentary party leader Derek O’Brien asserted that it remains a top priority for his party.
Mr. O’ Brien further said that the Trinamool will be stepping up its protest in the coming week. “The Opposition wants the Houses to run, but it is the government that has been running away from the debate on the revision of electoral rolls going on in Bihar and to be implemented in other States, including West Bengal, next year,” he said. The Opposition, he said, is also considering carrying out a protest march to the Election Commission’s door.
The Opposition parties have said the SIR exercise, which requires voters to provide proof of citizenship, will lead to disenfranchisement of many. “You are trying to remove people from the voters’ lists. This amounts to total interference and blatant cheating,” he added. He accused the Election Commission (EC) of operating like “BJP’s branch office”. He asked, “Why has the EC called 1,000 BLOs (booth-level officers) from Bengal under the guise of a training programme? What devious plans do they have?”
The onus of running Parliament, he said, is on the government. If all Opposition parties are unitedly demanding a debate on the SIR exercise, why is the government reluctant to hold it? he asked.
.jpg)
0 Comments