Kolkata/New Delhi, April 4 West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday appealed to the Election Commission to first rectify the existing errors related to EPIC cards before linking them with the Aadhaar cards.
A delegation of the Trinamool members from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha met the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar and submitted a memorandum, which raised some questions regarding the linking of EPIC cards with Aadhaar cards.
The first question was whether linking EPIC cards with Aadhaar cards is optional or not, and why the commission sought the approval of the Union government to make the EPIC-Aadhaar linking optional.
It also questioned why the commission did not challenge the disapproval of the Union government in the matter in the court. In the memorandum, a question has also been raised on the number of EPIC cards that have already been verified by the poll panel.
Veteran Trinamool leader and four-time MP Saugata Roy said that his party is strongly against EPIC-Aadhaar linking at this moment.
"A delegation of our party MPs raised this issue with the Chief Election Commissioner. There had been several forgeries in both EPIC and Aadhaar cards in the past. First, we want an error-free electoral list. Our leadership will continue with our movement till the time our demands are met," he said.
Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Ritabrata Banerjee said that his party leadership is dead against EPIC-Aadhaar linking. "The Union government is discouraging any discussions on EPIC irregularities since they are scared to face discussions. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had raised the pertinent question of multiple voters having the same EPIC numbers. So we think that this new initiative of EPIC-AADHAR linking is a dangerous blueprint for a larger conspiracy,” Banerjee said.
Last month, the Trinamool demanded that the ECI ensure a "Unique ID" for the EPIC cards in line with what is there in Aadhaar cards and passports. Then Trinamool leadership also demanded a physical verification in case of those voters who had been registered online.
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