Illegal immigrants from Nepal, Myanmar in Bihar: Voter list revision

Illegal immigrants from Nepal, Myanmar in Bihar: Voter list revision

A door-to-door survey conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Bihar has revealed a surprising fact.

The survey found that several people from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar are residing in the state.

These individuals have reportedly acquired Indian documents like Aadhaar cards, domicile certificates, and ration cards through illegal means.

Block Level Officers who conducted the survey identified these cases, which will be investigated between August 1-30.

Why the voter list is being revised

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was launched on June 25 with the objective of updating Bihar's voter lists. The last revision was done in 2003.

The ECI has cited reasons such as rapid urbanization, frequent migration, young citizens turning eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths, and inclusion of foreign illegal immigrants as reasons for this revision.

Opposition questions timing of exercise; BJP says will verify

The revision process has sparked a political debate in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections.

The opposition, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, has questioned the timing of this exercise and alleged it is a conspiracy to exclude voters.

However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended the move, asking why they would oppose verifying genuine voters and removing fake ones.

Matter taken to Supreme Court

The matter has reached the Supreme Court with several petitions challenging the ECI's voter list revision.

Petitioners include RJD MP Manoj Jha, Association for Democratic Reforms, People's Union for Civil Liberties, activist Yogendra Yadav, and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra.

During a recent hearing, questions were raised about the timing of this exercise and the accepted documents for re-verifying voters' identities.

SC expresses serious doubts over ECI's exercise

The Supreme Court has expressed "serious doubts" over whether the ECI can complete this exercise without disenfranchising genuine voters before the elections.

The court said, "Your exercise is not the problem... it is the timing." It added that while there's nothing wrong with ensuring non-citizens don't remain on voter rolls, this process should be conducted separately from upcoming elections.