Akhilesh Yadav calls SIR source of trouble for people

Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav has stated that the SIR has become a source of trouble for the people.

“In a large state like Uttar Pradesh, it is impossible to count and verify approximately 160 million voters within a month. The additional workload on BLOs is clearly impacting their physical and mental health,” he said.

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Yadav, in a statement here on Sunday, said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not disclosed anything by extending the SIR period from December 4 to 11. “The Samajwadi Party had demanded a three-month extension of the SIR period. The Election Commission paid no attention to this practical and reasonable demand. It appears the Election Commission has become insensitive and indifferent to the concerns of voters,” he claimed.

He said the attitude give rise to the suspicion that the Election Commission has lost its credibility, the fairness, and transparency in conducting elections, and hence has become an institution operating at the behest of the BJP government. “During the SIR period in Bihar, millions of people were deprived of their right to vote. The suspicion arises that a conspiracy is being hatched to cut the Opposition’s votes in view of the upcoming elections in UP too. This tampering with the democratic process is unacceptable under any circumstances,” he contended.

The SP president said the heavy workload of the SIR, that too, at a short notice, combined with threats of job losses, has left a large number of BLOs deeply distressed and frustrated, and some have even committed suicide out of depression. So far, more than half a dozen BLOs have died in UP. Sadly, conspiracies are being hatched to deprive deceased BLOs of government support by declaring them retired. What will happen if the BLOs are assigned sanitation workers as assistants? SIR is a crucial process, and any shortcomings in this process will lead to the loss of all the benefits guaranteed by the Constitution, including the right to vote, citizenship, and reservations, he added.

Yadav further said that if the Election Commission is interested in conducting independent and fair electoral rolls (SIRs) for the millions of voters in Uttar Pradesh, it should set a minimum deadline of three months. It should ensure that millions of voters in Uttar Pradesh are properly registered and protect their voting rights. The Commission must remain vigilant against any conspiracy by the BJP to ensure that voters are not deprived of their democratic right to vote. Otherwise, the finger of suspicion will point at the Election Commission as well.