New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter rolls in Bihar, BJP leaders have strongly criticised the Opposition for politicising the issue and casting doubts on the Election Commission of India (ECI) after the Supreme Court refused to stay the revision exercise, while issuing suggestions to ensure fairness and inclusivity.

BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain on Friday said, “Opposition leaders, especially Manoj Jha, went to the Supreme Court. They asked the court for a stay, but no stay was imposed. The Supreme Court has given some suggestions, which are appropriate. The decision will come in the last hearing. Opposition leaders should also trust the Supreme Court. These people make statements on that as well. When they win somewhere, the Election Commission is good, and when they lose, they target the Election Commission.”

Reinforcing the party’s position, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal added, “The Election Commission is acting within its constitutional authority. Earlier, people didn’t fully understand this, but after the Supreme Court’s verdict yesterday, it’s now clear that the Commission has full rights to carry out the special revision.”

“The Supreme Court has affirmed this. Political parties should now stop politicising the issue and instead ensure that genuine voters in Bihar are not deprived of their right to vote,” he added.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court took a balanced view, asking the ECI to consider Aadhaar cards, Elector’s Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), and ration cards as valid documents for voter registration, stating that the official list of 11 acceptable documents is not exhaustive.

RJD MP Manoj Jha had moved the Supreme Court earlier, alleging that the ongoing voter verification drive disproportionately impacts marginalised communities in Bihar.

Despite ongoing criticism from the Opposition and former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, the Commission has stood by its procedures.

–IANS

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