AAP slams UP CEO over objectionable X post, official apologises

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa apologised on Tuesday, October 27, after an official post on X sparked outrage over remarks about errors in voter lists.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the official of acting as a “BJP agent”.

The controversy began after AAP leader Sanjay Singh questioned irregularities in the state's voter list, including names such as “Ram killed Yadav”. He asked how the election commission's computer system could generate such casteist remarks.

“Why did Ram ultimately kill a ‘Yadav’ specifically? Why didn’t Ram kill a Singh, Pathak, Asthana, Sharma, Rai, or Bisht? Is your computer deeply casteist? Are you pushing some party’s agenda?” Singh wrote on X.

Responding from its official account, the UP CEO's office said the electoral roll for recent Legislative Council elections also contained a bizarre name: “Ram ne Sharma ko mara (Ram killed Sarma).”

The post said computers and software were not casteist and that errors could occur. It added, “We must also thank God that Ram did not kill any minority. Otherwise, in addition to being casteist, there would also be an accusation of being communal.”

The remarks drew widespread criticism for failing to address the alleged voter list errors. Singh said the response showed that a “BJP agent” was occupying a constitutional position. He demanded strict action, arguing that fair elections in Uttar Pradesh were not possible under such an official.

Following the backlash, the CEO's office acknowledged the “genuine outrage” and apologised to those who were “surprised or upset” by the post.

“The language, level, tone, and sharp nature of the comments in the quoted post of this handle are not in line with the nature of communication expected from this official handle,” the apology said.

The CEO's office also promised professional and polite communication in the future.

In a separate post, the office said the reasons for errors in voter lists were being investigated and that action would be taken against those responsible for forging voter slips. It also urged the public and media to verify claims before sharing them online.