Sachin Pilot accuses Election Commission of creating fear and suspicion amid SIR survey

Jaipur, Nov 29 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Saturday accused the Election Commission of India of creating "fear and suspicion" among voters during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

He alleged that undue pressure on the field staff and hurried timelines indicate "something is wrong" with the process.

Speaking to reporters in Jaipur, Pilot said that although SIR exercises have been conducted several times in the past, they have never triggered the kind of public concern seen this year.

"SIR has been conducted many times before in this country, but there was never any discussion or doubt in people's minds. For the first time, the attitude of the Election Commission has created worry among citizens," he reiterated.

Pilot alleged that names were deleted in Bihar and that officials involved in the current exercise are under severe pressure.

"In many states, people are under stress, and some are even dying by suicide because of the pressure on them. This is a clear sign that something is going wrong," he alleged.

The former deputy chief minister said the election body must function as an independent institution.

"The revision of voter lists is the job of the Commission, not of any political party," he said.

Pilot said that the Congress is running nationwide campaigns to ensure no vulnerable citizen loses their voting right.

"We want to ensure that poor people, Dalits, Adivasis and the elderly are not deprived of their constitutional right to vote due to lack of awareness or because someone intends to remove their names," he asserted.

He warned that any action taken under political pressure would be unacceptable.

"The Election Commission must work impartially. If it acts under the pressure of any ideology, government or leader, it will not be acceptable to the public or the Congress," Pilot said. PTI AG SMV APL