SIR constitutionally valid: Law minister in RS

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Monday said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is constitutionally valid and has been undertaken many times in the past as well. Participating in a discussion on election reforms, the Union Minister stated that the initiative to revise the electoral list is based on the constitutional framework created by BR Ambedkar.

He charged that Congress did everything to humiliate Ambedkar when he was alive and was in active public life. The Congress did everything possible to defeat him in elections in 1952, and did the same thing again in 1953-54, he said.

Meghwal said the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) is based on the principle of one person, one vote and one value as proposed by Ambedkar. “He said that we should move ahead with it as it is also a major pillar of election reforms. Our constitution and electoral process is based on this principle. So, when under SIR, the same is being undertaken to take out people who are not eligible from voter lists, why are they (opposition parties) opposing it?” he stated.

Meghwal said that when SIR took place under various governments earlier, it was okay for the opposition parties, but when the present government is undertaking the initiative, it is being opposed.

The initiative commenced with Bihar, and now will be undertaken in 12 other states, including Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Goa, in the second phase, he added. Meghwal said even the Supreme Court has said that the Election Commission has the power to undertake SIR.

Attacking the Congress, he said that former party President Sonia Gandhi got Indian citizenship in 1983, but her name figured in the voter list in 1980. Meghwal also attacked the previous Congress governments for favouritism regarding the appointments of the Election Commission members.

Meghwal stated that reforms regarding the appointment of election commission members were undertaken after the Narendra Modi government took over in 2014. On making changes in the Constitution, he charged that the Congress governments brought in amendments to serve their political causes, while the BJP government brought in changes for the general good of the SC/STs, OBCs and women.

“During the 16 years of the Modi government, we amended the constitution 22 times, while during the 55-year rule of the Congress, it was changed 77 times,” Meghwal stated. Akhilesh Prasad Singh of Congress said the stature of the Election Commission has come down in the past few years.

He charged that the commission has chosen to stay as a mute spectator when “scientific rigging” and daylight robbery of votes take place in the garb of SIR. BJP leader Dinesh Sharma stated that the electoral reforms, like the introduction of EVMs, has led to a curb in various unlawful activities like booth capturing.

Terming ‘one nation one election’ as a great electoral reform, he noted that the initiative should be supported by all.