Assam oppn criticise BJP CM’s remark that Muslims can be harassed
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Guwahati: Opposition parties in Assam on Sunday alleged gross anomalies in the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls ahead of Assembly polls and notices being served to genuine voters at the behest of the ruling BJP-led dispensation, PTI reported.
They raised objections to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's public statement, indicating that people of the 'Miya' (Bengali-speaking Muslims) community would be harassed during the SR exercise, and maintained that such a remark undermines the neutrality of the process.
The Congress, CPI(M), Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), in a joint memorandum to the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), sought his "immediate intervention and prompt action for ensuring free and fair exercise of SR in the state." They claimed that "illegal, arbitrary and unlawful bulk objections were filed against genuine voters mainly on the ground of dead voters and permanently shifted voters", adding that in a large number of such cases the objectors have maintained that these were filed without their knowledge.
The opposition further claimed that notices are being served to the voters based on such bulk objections, in violation of rules and guidelines.
They urged the CEO to summarily reject the bulk/ illegal objections "without calling the persons for hearing and without harassing them", and take necessary action against the objectors who have filed these.
They also sought that a reasonable time be given to the people for appearing in the hearing in case of any genuine objection filed.
The opposition parties alleged that officials involved in the SR process have been deleting names from the electoral rolls suo moto, and asked the CEO to prevent it.
Referring to a statement by CM Sarma indicating that people of Miya community "would be subjected to harassment" during the SR process and would be deliberately issued notices, the opposition said, "Such a statement is arbitrary, mala fide, and wholly unconstitutional, as it betrays a predetermined intent to target a specific community and undermines the neutrality of the electoral process".
They also alleged "active interference of BJP office bearers" in SR, citing the instance of members of the saffron party caught on camera inside the election branch in Kamrup district.