New Delhi: The BJP on Friday said the Supreme Court’s observations on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was a “befitting reply” to the opposition parties and demanded a “public apology” from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav for opposing the exercise.
The apex court on Thursday allowed the Election Commission of India to continue with its special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, calling it a “constitutional mandate”. It also asked the poll panel to consider Aadhaar, Voter ID and ration cards as valid documents during the exercise.
Commenting on the development, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the apex court’s observations made it clear that the SIR is a process to bring transparency and fairness in voting.
The apex court has also made it clear that initiation of a special drive for intensive revision of the electoral rolls comes within the jurisdiction of the Election Commission from a constitutional point of view, he said.
“The Supreme Court’s comment is a befitting reply to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav,” the BJP leader told reporters.
He demanded that Yadav and Gandhi “publicly apologise to the people of India and Bihar”, taking cognisance of the apex court’s observations.
“Will Tejashwi Yadav accept the Supreme Court’s decision (observations) or not?’ he asked.
Bhatia asked Gandhi to explain why he was protesting on the streets of Patna a day before the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the matter.
“This makes it clear that these leaders have no faith in the Supreme Court,” he charged.
Bhatia asked both Yadav and Gandhi to “introspect” and said, “People will keep giving a befitting reply to those parties and leaders who do not have faith in the constitution and constitutional institutions.”
The BJP leader also attacked the Congress, claiming “internal tussle” in the party over its chief minister’s face in Karnataka, and said, “While people are fed up with the Congress government in the state, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar are happy.”
The people want good governance in Karnataka, but these two leaders only want to enjoy power, he alleged.
“The people of Karnataka are asking today, who will take care of them? One leader wants to continue holding the chair (of chief minister), while the other leader wants to get it (from him),” he said in an apparent reference to Siddaramiah and Shivakumar.
“The kind of dirty politics that the Congress party is doing in Karnataka, the people of the state are suffering. This is very unfortunate,” he added.
