Patna, Aug 11 (IANS) Janata Dal (United) leader, Neeraj Kumar, on Monday criticised the INDIA Bloc leaders for their protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission of India (ECI) office, against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and alleged vote fraud in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
He also urged the Opposition to acknowledge their earlier inaction regarding the matter before raising new demands.
Speaking to IANS, Neeraj Kumar said, “The INDIA Bloc parties have the right to march to the Election Commission, but what example are they setting when their MPs enter restricted areas? When they are in power, they advise against breaking barricades; when out of power, they do the opposite. There is a proper procedure — sending formal letters, requesting meetings, and following due process.”
He added, “If the SIR issue is so important to them, they should first admit that during the first hearing, they did not press for an interim order. This is noted in the observations. Do they consider the Supreme Court a constitutional institution or not? If they reject the Election Commission, do they also reject the Supreme Court? If they accept it, then they must raise their concerns there strongly as well.”
Neeraj Kumar further reacted as the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Sunday issued a notice asking the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to provide documents to substantiate his allegations of “vote theft” in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment under the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency at a Press conference on August 7, so that a detailed enquiry could be conducted.
Kumar said, “The Election Commission is a constitutional body, and the Leader of the Opposition is a constitutional post. Hence, LoP Rahul Gandhi should respond accordingly.”
Responding to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s allegation that Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader, Vijay Kumar Sinha, holds two Electoral Photo Identity Cards, Kumar described the matter as an administrative issue rather than political.
“If there are two EPIC cards, one should be cancelled by filing the proper form. It’s a matter of duplication, not politics. It would be good if this is resolved quickly,” he said.
–IANS
jk/rad
