India’s high election physique finds Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar nationals in Bihar voter listing: Report

Through the ongoing Particular Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar, officers have reportedly discovered that many residents from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar had additionally been enlisted. After checking their particulars, authorities have determined that these people, at present dwelling within the state, won’t be included within the closing voter listing, set to be launched on September 30.

The Election Fee of India (ECI) kicked off the SIR on June 25, after a directive was issued by the physique on June 24. The aim is to scrub up the voter lists by eradicating ineligible names and ensuring solely Indian residents are registered. This course of will proceed till July 26.

As a part of the SIR, the ECI initially required all voters to submit identification paperwork, together with proof of Indian citizenship.

Over 77,000 Sales space Degree Officers (BLOs), together with authorities employees and political get together members, are checking the small print of greater than 7.8 crore registered voters throughout Bihar. Each present and new voters have been requested to point out paperwork proving they’re Indian residents.

Ruling BJP criticised opposition events

Amit Malviya, head of the BJP IT Cell, criticised opposition events, claiming they’re making an attempt so as to add overseas nationals to the voter lists to spice up their “vote financial institution.”

Malviya wrote, “The voter listing in Bihar has been discovered to incorporate names of overseas residents from international locations like Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal. This revelation got here through the Particular Intensive Revision.”

He additionally accused the RJD, Congress, Leftists, and their supporters—together with some journalists, YouTubers, NGOs, and authorized activists—of pressuring the ECI to incorporate these names.

Earlier, the Supreme Courtroom reviewed a number of petitions difficult the ECI’s SIR course of in Bihar forward of this 12 months’s meeting elections.

The petitioners included opposition leaders like Trinamool Congress’s Mahua Moitra, RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha, Congress’s KC Venugopal, and Supriya Sule from the Nationalist Congress Social gathering (SP), amongst others.

The courtroom allowed the ECI to proceed the SIR however steered utilizing extensively held paperwork like Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration playing cards for verification, along with the 11 paperwork already listed by the ECI.

The ECI later clarified that these paperwork are already a part of the SIR verification course of, however don’t routinely show somebody’s eligibility to vote.