BJP accuses Opposition of hypocrisy over EC’s electoral roll revision

The BJP accused opposition parties of hypocrisy for criticising the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. It alleged they support the process in some states but oppose it elsewhere, claiming the criticism aims to justify electoral defeats and target constitutional institutions

New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday accused opposition parties of displaying “peak hypocrisy” by attacking the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that they back the same exercise in states where it suits them politically but oppose it elsewhere to create an excuse for electoral defeats.

The charge came after 23 political parties and an Independent MP wrote to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, raising concerns over the SIR process, the EC’s functioning and other election-related issues.

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Reacting to the letter, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the opposition was targeting constitutional institutions after repeated electoral setbacks.

“SIR is merely a pretext. The real objective is to shield themselves from electoral losses by attacking the Election Commission,” Poonawalla said in a video statement.

He claimed that the opposition’s objections reflect “peak hypocrisy”, noting that the Congress has praised the SIR process, electronic voting machines (EVMs) and the EC when electoral roll revision exercises were carried out in states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu that were won by it or its allies.

“The selective outrage over the SIR exercise reflects the opposition’s double standards. When the same SIR is carried out in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Congress says it is very good. The Congress says EVMs are very good and the Election Commission is very good. But when the exercise is undertaken in West Bengal, where they lose elections, suddenly SIR becomes bad,” he alleged.

“There is a ‘good SIR’ and a ‘bad SIR’. One kind of SIR is acceptable in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, while another suddenly becomes objectionable elsewhere. This is nothing but political hypocrisy,” he said.

Poonawalla asserted that the Supreme Court has recognised the importance of the SIR in ensuring free and fair elections and said the EC has the constitutional mandate to undertake the exercise in accordance with established legal procedures.

He alleged that despite making serious allegations, opposition parties and activists, including Yogendra Yadav, have failed to produce “even a single evidence” to show that any voter’s name has been illegally deleted during the SIR process.

“They have to push a false narrative. They have to protect infiltrators and illegal immigrants. Therefore, they are creating an atmosphere against constitutional bodies,” he alleged.

Claiming that the opposition has a history of blaming constitutional institutions after electoral defeats, Poonawalla said, “Earlier they blamed EVMs. Now the Election Commission’s SIR has become the latest target.” He alleged that instead of introspecting over repeated electoral setbacks, opposition parties are attempting to shift the blame onto constitutional institutions.