Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 11 (ANI): Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of running a “false campaign” over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and challenged state BJP president Ramchander Rao to address concerns regarding alleged voter deletions.
Prabhakar alleged that the BJP was not focusing on correcting errors in electoral rolls or ensuring that citizens’ voting rights were protected. He also questioned Rao’s remarks that no voter had lost their vote during the revision exercise.
“The Telangana BJP President is not saying that if any mistakes happen during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, we will correct them and protect citizens’ right to vote. He is also not appealing to BJP workers to participate in the exercise. Instead, the BJP is running a false campaign on SIR. I saw Ramchander Rao’s interview. He said no one has lost their vote. If people approach you saying their vote has been removed, don’t escape by using the police,” Prabhakar said.
“In Hyderabad alone, around 40 lakh votes have been removed in the name of SIR. If you have any doubt, verify with the State Election Commission and check your own vote,” he said.
The Telangana Minister also referred to former Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu, claiming that even a senior public figure had faced difficulties related to establishing voter identity.
“Former Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu himself said in an interview that he had to show his identity from Bangalore and Nellore, and if this is the situation faced by a former Vice President, what about common people? How will SC, ST, BC, daily wage workers and uneducated people bring their certificates?” Prabhakar said.
He called on the BJP to respond to the concerns raised over the revision of electoral rolls and said he would bring forward people who had allegedly lost their voting rights.
“The BJP must answer this. I will bring those who lost their votes before you. Don’t insult people who are part of the movement. You have no respect for democracy. That is why the movement in the name of ‘Save Vote, Save Country, Save Democracy’ has started,” he said.
Responding to Prabhakar’s allegations, Telangana BJP president Ramchander Rao said Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had himself raised concerns about bogus votes in Telangana. Rao maintained that the SIR exercise was a procedural process and asserted that he had submitted evidence in support of his position.
“Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi himself said there are a number of bogus votes in Telangana. Ask him and get a clarification. SIR is a process and I myself submitted proof — anyone in India has to show proof. The Congress is worried because Bangladeshi votes are being deleted as per procedure in Telangana. The Congress is only talking about people losing their votes. It is unfortunate that the Congress is blaming the BJP in Telangana,” Rao told ANI.
Rao further said the exercise was being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), which he described as an independent and transparent institution, and rejected the Congress party’s allegations against the BJP.
“This is very unfortunate that today the Congress party is blaming the BJP, though it has nothing to do with the BJP. It is the Election Commission of India’s process, which is independent and transparent,” he added. (ANI)
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