Ahmedabad, July 28 After the Supreme Court declined to issue an interim stay on the publication of the draft electoral rolls by the Election Commission of India (ECI) following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar, the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), on Monday, hit out at opposition parties, accusing them of misleading the public for political gains.
Reacting to the court's decision, BJP Spokesperson Rohan Gupta told IANS, "The Supreme Court has given a very befitting reply to the opposition parties who were indulging in wrong politics in the name of SIR. Out of 7.89 crore voters in Bihar, forms from 7.24 crore have already been submitted. Isn't this a significant achievement? Isn't this a victory for our democratic process?"
He further praised the functioning of the Election Commission, calling it a robust and credible institution.
"The Election Commission has worked diligently as a responsible constitutional body. All parties were consulted during this process. The Opposition has now been completely exposed for misleading people," Gupta said.
Addressing the issue of the missing names, he added, "The names of the remaining 65 lakh voters have been listed and shared with the Opposition. They've been given one month to raise any concerns. If someone's name has been excluded by mistake or their form wasn't submitted, they can correct it. This is a transparent process."
Gupta further questioned the basis of the Opposition's protest.
"The draft list is already out. The Opposition has access to the list of 65 lakh names. So, on what grounds are they continuing their political attacks? How long will they move forward by questioning constitutional institutions?"
He emphasised the need for accountability from political parties.
"The Opposition must understand that questioning the integrity of institutions like the Election Commission, which is respected globally, cannot be the basis of political survival. They should fulfil their democratic responsibility instead of casting baseless doubts."
Challenging the Opposition, Gupta said, "I dare them to present proof -- just one document -- that shows any wrongdoing in the SIR process. If there is a voter whose name was unfairly removed, bring that name forward. This is only a draft list. Anyone omitted in error will be included in the final roll."
The BJP leader further urged opposition parties to end their politics over the issue and apologise.
"Now that the Supreme Court has made its position clear, I request the Opposition to stop politicising the matter and apologise to the public for misleading them. It's time to focus on strengthening our democracy, not undermining it," he said.
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