Union minister Chirag Paswan asserts that the opposition’s focus on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls stems from their dwindling popularity and public discontent. He highlights past incidents and criticises the opposition’s tactics as detrimental to their credibility.
India
-Krishna Kripa
Union
minister
Chirag
Paswan
has
accused
the
opposition
of
unnecessarily
criticising
the
Special
Intensive
Revision
(SIR)
of
electoral
rolls.
He
claims
this
is
due
to
their
declining
popularity
and
growing
public
dissatisfaction
with
them.
Paswan,
who
is
part
of
the
Lok
Janshakti
Party
Ram
Vilas
and
oversees
the
food
processing
industries,
made
these
remarks
while
attending
a
food
and
beverages
exhibition
in
Greater
Noida.
image
Union
minister
Chirag
Paswan
asserts
that
the
opposition’s
focus
on
the
Special
Intensive
Revision
of
electoral
rolls
stems
from
their
dwindling
popularity
and
public
discontent.
He
highlights
past
incidents
and
criticises
the
opposition’s
tactics
as
detrimental
to
their
credibility.
Paswan
highlighted
that
the
opposition
had
previously
raised
similar
concerns
about
the
SIR
exercise
in
Bihar.
Despite
their
objections,
the
National
Democratic
Alliance
(NDA)
achieved
a
significant
victory,
which
he
believes
demonstrates
public
rejection
of
parties
that
fail
to
address
important
issues.
He
argued
that
the
opposition’s
tactics,
including
personal
attacks
on
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi,
have
backfired.
Opposition’s
Concerns
Over
SIR
The
minister
noted
that
the
opposition
often
resorts
to
inappropriate
language
and
slogans
like
“Chowkidar
Chor
Hai” and
accusations
of
“vote
theft.”
According
to
Paswan,
these
actions
have
only
damaged
their
credibility.
He
stated,
“Whenever
the
opposition
raises
questions
over
SIR,
the
people
of
the
country
understand
that
they
are
afraid
of
losing
their
seats
and
are
already
preparing
excuses.”
Paswan
emphasised
that
the
SIR
exercise
is
not
a
new
initiative.
Similar
processes
have
been
conducted
before,
including
during
census-related
reforms.
The
only
difference
now
is
the
incorporation
of
technology,
as
the
process
has
moved
online.
This
change
aims
to
streamline
and
modernise
the
revision
process.
Technology’s
Role
in
Electoral
Revisions
The
minister
explained
that
earlier
revisions
were
not
conducted
online,
but
now
an
online
system
has
been
introduced.
This
technological
advancement
is
intended
to
enhance
efficiency
and
accuracy
in
updating
electoral
rolls.
Paswan
reiterated
that
questioning
the
SIR
reflects
the
opposition’s
anticipation
of
electoral
defeat.
Paswan’s
comments
come
amid
ongoing
debates
about
electoral
processes
in
India.
The
opposition’s
concerns
over
SIR
highlight
broader
discussions
about
transparency
and
fairness
in
elections.
However,
Paswan
remains
confident
that
these
criticisms
will
not
impact
public
perception
or
electoral
outcomes.
In
summary,
Paswan
believes
that
the
opposition’s
criticism
of
SIR
is
unfounded
and
driven
by
fear
of
losing
political
ground.
He
maintains
that
technological
improvements
in
electoral
revisions
will
benefit
the
democratic
process
by
ensuring
more
accurate
voter
lists.
With
inputs
from
PTI
