Electoral failure driving Opposition to blame ECI, doubt SIR: Meghwal

New Delhi, Dec 9 Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday hit out at the Opposition for doubting the functioning of constitutional bodies like the Election Commission of India, the EVMs and the SIR of voters’ list to escape the blame for their own failure in polls.

Speaking during a debate on electoral reforms in Lok Sabha, Meghwal, without naming Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, mocked the repeated electoral losses of the Congress and its allies for which they keep blaming the ECI.

He also criticised the Opposition for targeting a constitutional body like the ECI and demanding a House discussion on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

“The truth is that the voters have rejected them completely, and they are alleging faults in SIR and EVMs. But reality is that they cannot see the shortcomings in themselves,” said Meghwal.

In a poetic reference to Gandhi’s poor track record in leading the Congress to electoral victories, the MoS shared a couplet of Urdu poet Ghalib: “Umar bhar Ghalib yahi bhool karta raha, Dhool chehre pe thi, aur aina saaf karta raha (All my life I kept making this mistake; the dust was on his face, but I kept cleaning the mirror).”

Meghwal said the Opposition deliberately kept seeking debate on SIR, despite our stand that there cannot be a discussion on the functions of a constitutional body.

“They kept demanding a debate on SIR, but we suggested discussing electoral reforms,” he said, adding that the rigidity shown by the Opposition delayed the discussion in the House.

The MoS also slammed the Congress and other Opposition parties for insisting on a discussion on SIR, knowing very well that such a topic could not be raised in the House.

He said Congress leader and former Speaker Balram Jakhar had also ruled on these lines in December 1988 that ECI is a constitutional body and its functioning cannot be discussed in the House.

“If such a discussion has to take place, a proposal in consonance with the Constitution will have to be moved for the purpose,” said Meghwal.

Referring to provisions of Article 326 and Article 324 that mandate purification of electoral rolls through SIR and allowing only eligible electors to vote in elections, Meghwal said it is not the first time that the poll body was undertaking the SIR exercise, but the Opposition was targeting the poll body over the exercise.

He said SIRs have been carried out several times between 1952 and 2002, but every time they lose an election, they start blaming the ECI or the SIR.

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