Jaipur, Nov 5 :Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, asserting that accurate voter lists were essential for ensuring free and fair elections, and accused the Congress of opposing the exercise without offering evidence of irregularities.
Addressing a BJP rally at Ramlila Maidan here, Vaishnaw said electoral rolls were the foundation of democracy and their accuracy was necessary to maintain the credibility of the electoral process.
“If the electoral roll itself is flawed, how can the fairness and credibility of the democratic system be ensured?” he asked.
The Union minister said the SIR was not a new procedure and its objective was to correct errors in electoral rolls and ensure that every eligible voter was included.
He also criticised the Congress for questioning constitutional institutions following electoral defeats, saying opposition parties should raise specific concerns with supporting evidence rather than make allegations.
The rally was attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, BJP state president Madan Rathore, Jaipur MP Manju Sharma and other party leaders.
Chief Minister Sharma accused the Congress of having a history of undermining democratic institutions and referred to the Emergency and the dismissal of elected state governments under Article 356 of the Constitution.
He said the BJP had accepted electoral defeats in the past, citing the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government’s defeat by a single vote in Parliament.
Sharma also challenged former chief minister Ashok Gehlot to respond to allegations concerning irregularities in Rajasthan Public Service Commission appointments, the Jal Jeevan Mission and examination paper leaks during the previous Congress government.
Referring to his recent visit to Jodhpur, Sharma asked Gehlot to disprove the questions he had raised regarding the previous government’s functioning.
BJP state president Rathore accused the Congress of opposing the SIR exercise for political reasons and attempting to create confusion over the electoral process.
Jaipur MP Manju Sharma questioned the Congress’s objections to the revision, asking whether the names of deceased persons and those who had shifted elsewhere should continue to remain on electoral rolls.
She urged BJP workers to undertake door-to-door campaigns to explain the SIR process and counter what she described as misinformation.
Following the rally, BJP leaders and party workers took out a march from Ramlila Maidan to Tripolia Gate, carrying the national flag and banners bearing the slogan “Save Democracy, End Anarchy”.
The BJP leaders urged party workers to intensify public outreach on the electoral roll revision exercise ahead of the next phase of political mobilisation.
