SIR not new; Supreme Court has validated it: Meghwal in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday hit out at the opposition, countering their charge on the special intensive revision (SIR) of the voters' list and said the exercise has been held multiple times since 1952 and is required to clean up electoral rolls, which change due to migration and rapid urbanisation.

Intervening in the Lok Sabha during a debate on 'election reforms', Meghwal accused the Congress party of engaging in "vote chori" (vote theft) since the first Lok Sabha elections, including rigging elections to ensure the defeat of B R Ambedkar.

He said the opposition, including the Congress, blames electronic voting machines and the SIR for their repeated defeats, but fails to introspect on the reasons.

Meghwal highlighted the recent electoral situation in Bihar as an example of the opposition attempting to blame others for their losses. He said that the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, carries a copy of the Constitution but does not take the time to read it.

The minister emphasised that the Modi government did not change the law regarding the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and fellow election commissioners but rather created a framework following a March 2023 Supreme Court ruling.

He reminded members that the Supreme Court upheld the SIR in Bihar and confirmed that the Election Commission has the legal authority to undertake the cleanup of the voters' list.

The legislative department in the Law Ministry is the nodal agency to deal with Election Commission appointments, electoral laws and related rules.

Meghwal noted that from 1952 to 2002, SIR was conducted multiple times, but no such exercise took place in the last two decades. A revision was necessary to address changes in the voters' list due to migration and urbanisation, which often led to electors being registered in multiple places, he said.

He mentioned that there have been instances where individuals have not had their names removed from their previous place of residence and have also registered in a new constituency.

Referring to Gandhi's allegations of vote theft, Meghwal reiterated that it is the Congress party that has been engaging in "vote chori" since the first Lok Sabha elections, including the invalidation of over 74,000 votes to ensure Ambedkar's defeat.

He recalled that Ambedkar had approached the Election Commission in April 1952, alleging that the then Congress government had instructed the EC to disregard his complaint about the election results.

Meghwal also noted that during the Rae Bareli elections, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi faced charges of electoral malpractice, which he referred to as "vote chori." Regarding the appointments of the CEC and election commissioners, he explained that the government acted following a Supreme Court ruling that called for a legal framework.

While asking the government to bring a law on CEC and EC appointments, the Supreme Court had said that till a legal framework is in place, a collegium comprising the prime minister, the CJI and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha will select CEC and ECs.

In response, the government introduced a law establishing a selection committee led by the prime minister, which includes the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet minister appointed by the prime minister.

Meghwal said the committee proposed by the Supreme Court bench was an interim measure.

The opposition has been demanding the inclusion of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in the selection committee as directed by the top court, saying the present formulation is lopsided.