Oppn Raising SIR To Keep 'Ghuspathiye' In Electoral Rolls: Shah
“No party had opposed this process because it is a process of keeping elections clean and keeping democracy healthy": Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the Opposition of spreading falsehood on Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and argued that it is an exercise to keep “ghuspathiye” (illegal immigrants) out of India’s democratic system. Intervening in a debate on election reforms in the Lok Sabha, Shah accused the Opposition of misleading people because it wants to normalise and formalise the 'avaidh ghuspathiye' and add them in electoral rolls. His words angered the Opposition that staged a walk out in between his speech.
However, Shah continued saying no matter how many times the Opposition boycotts, the NDA will continue with its policy of detect, delete and deport 'ghuspathiye'. He further said the Opposition is worried as people of the country do not vote for them and SIR will delete names of illegal immigrants who back them. He added BJP's victory in West Bengal is certain if the ruling Trinamool Congress continues to oppose SIR as he countered Opposition’s allegations of deleting the names of people who do not vote for the BJP.
On the SIR, Shah mentioned that the exercise has been going on since 1952 under both Congress and the BJP PMs. “No party had opposed this process because it is a process of keeping elections clean and keeping democracy healthy. The objective of the SIR of electoral rolls is to remove those who have died, add the names of those who have turned 18 and delete foreign nationals one by one. I want to say to the House and people -- Can a country's democracy be safe when the prime minister and the chief minister are decided by 'ghuspathiye'," Shah said.
Responding sharply to the Opposition’s charges of manipulating elections through EVMs and the Election Commission, Shah said that it is the leadership of Opposition parties to be to be blamed for electoral losses and nothing else. He said voting on EVM was started by the Congress and the party doesn’t blame the machine when it wins. "EVMs stopped election chori and that is why they (Congress) are worried. Their method of election was not mandate but corrupt practices, and they have been fully exposed," he said.
“The tradition of electoral loss began in 2014 and the Congress blamed EVMs, which were brought by Rajiv Gandhi in 1989. The EVMs were used for the first time in 2004 and then in 2009 elections and on both occasions, the Congress won, but they started complaining only after the 2014 loss,” he said.
The HM also countered Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of vote chori by accusing former PMs late Jawaharlal Nehru, late Indira Gandhi and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of the same. Shah cited three instances that can be termed "vote chori" saying, “Post Independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was backed by 28 persons for the post of PM, while Jawaharlal Nehru by two persons and yet Nehru became the prime minister, this was vote chori."
