SIR not reform but imposed oppression: Cong after death of some booth-level officers
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Sunday targeted the BJP over the death of some booth-level officers engaged in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in various states, terming the exercise an "imposed oppression" and a "deliberate ploy under which citizens are being harassed".
The deaths of booth-level officers (BLOs) due to unnecessary pressure are being ignored as "collateral damage", the opposition party alleged.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that chaos has been "created" across the country in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
"The result? Sixteen BLOs have lost their lives in three weeks. Heart attacks, stress, suicide -- SIR is not a reform, it is an imposed oppression," he said in a post in Hindi on X.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha further said the Election Commission of India has created a system where citizens have to sift through thousands of scanned pages of 22-year-old voter lists to find their names.
"The objective is clear: to tire out genuine voters and allow voter fraud to continue unabated," he alleged.
India develops cutting-edge software for the world, but the Election Commission of India is still adamant on creating a jungle of paperwork, Gandhi said.
"If the intentions were clear, the list would be digital, searchable, and machine-readable, and the ECI would have taken its time to focus on transparency and accountability instead of rushing through the work in a 30-day hurry," the former Congress chief claimed.
"SIR is a deliberate ploy under which citizens are being harassed and deaths of BLOs due to unnecessary pressure are being ignored as 'collateral damage'," Gandhi said, adding, "This is not a failure, it is a conspiracy; democracy is being sacrificed to protect power."
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also slammed the BJP over the issue and claimed the "hasty" implementation of the SIR exercise is reminiscent of demonetisation and the COVID-19 lockdown.
He said the BJP's "vote chori" has now taken a deadly turn.
On X, Kharge shared a media report which claimed that in 19 days, there have been deaths of 16 BLOs during the SIR of the electoral rolls. The workload is forcing BLOs and polling officers to commit suicide, the Congress chief claimed.
"My deepest condolences to every family who has lost a loved one. Based on ground reality, this number is far higher than reported, which is extremely worrying. Who will provide justice to these families?" Kharge posed in his X post in Hindi.
"The BJP is busy enjoying the fruits of stolen power, while the Election Commission is watching as a mute spectator. The hasty, unplanned, forced implementation of SIR is reminiscent of demonetization and the COVID-19 lockdown," he charged.
The BJP's hunger for power is driving institutions to force suicides, shredding the Constitution, and weakening democracy through misuse of power, he alleged.
"Enough is enough! If we still don't wake up, no one can save the last pillars of democracy from collapsing. Those who remain silent on SIR and vote theft are responsible for the deaths of these innocent BLOs. Raise your voice, save democracy!" Kharge said.
A woman working as a Booth Level Officer (BLO) in West Bengal's Nadia district was found hanging at her residence on Saturday, with her family members claiming that she was under considerable SIR work-related stress and died by suicide, police said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock over the BLO's death and said this has become "truly alarming now".
In a "suicide note" shared by the chief minister on social media, the woman held the ECI responsible.
Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha, however, claimed that the suicide note was 'fake'.
Also, two teachers who worked as BLOs for the SIR exercise died of "illness" in Raisen and Damoh districts of Madhya Pradesh on Friday.
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Ayush signs off with silver at Badminton Asia Championships
Ningbo (China) (PTI): India's Ayush Shetty signed off with a silver medal after his giant-killing run ended in a straight-game loss to world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships here on Sunday.
The 20-year-old from Mangalore struggled to find his rhythm, going down 8-21, 10-21 to the reigning world champion from China, as India's 61-year wait for a men's singles gold at the event continued.
Despite the loss, it was a creditable campaign from the unseeded youngster, who became only the second Indian men's singles player after Dinesh Khanna to reach the final of the continental showpiece.
Khanna remains the only Indian singles champion at the event, having won the title in 1965. Since then, only the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have lifted the trophy, winning it in 2023.
World No. 25 Ayush entered the contest on the back of defeats to Shi at the Malaysia Super 1000 earlier this year and the Indonesia Masters last season. However, he had played with far greater control and attacking clarity this week, toppling world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, world No. 4 Jonatan Christie and world No. 7 Li Shi Feng en route to the final.
However, the Indian, a product of the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru, failed to counter the tactical discipline of Shi, who used his repertoire of strokes and deception to deny Ayush the opportunity to play his natural attacking game.
Shi dictated the geometry of the court from the outset, controlling the net exchanges and forcing Ayush into the forecourt battle early. The variation in the Chinese player’s game blunted the Indian’s attack, as his smashes lacked precision and he succumbed to scoreboard pressure, leading to rushed shot-making.
Shi Yu Qi logged the opening points with two fine net dribbles to race to a 4-0 lead, as Ayush’s smashes lacked precision early on and he trailed 2-6. A long rally ended with the Chinese player going wide, offering the Indian some respite. A deceptive net shot helped Shi move to 7-4, and he extended the lead to 11-6 as Ayush struggled for control, committing a string of unforced errors.
Shi mixed it up effectively, producing a lovely drop shot and repeatedly drawing the Indian to the forecourt with cross returns like a metronome, forcing errors. Two down-the-line smashes gave Shi a massive cushion of game points, and he sealed the opening game when Ayush sprayed a return wide.
The Indian needed a complete reset to stay alive, and he responded with a thunderous straight smash before diving on both flanks to keep the shuttle in play and move to 3-1 in the second game. Shi continued to test Ayush with backhand deceptive net strokes and pushes to the deep, but the Indian managed to retrieve everything and even found his precision in time, with an on-the-line smash confirmed by Hawk-Eye and a well-constructed rally taking him to 7-2.
However, he couldn't hold on to the momentum as the Chinese clawed back to 7-7 after two long shots and a smash into the net from Ayush. A return that kissed the backline from Shi, followed by another error from Ayush at the net and a return into the net, handed the Chinese the advantage once again at the interval, as he led 11-8.
Shi’s ability to place the shuttle into empty spaces with his repertoire of strokes, often punctuated by a fierce smash, made life difficult for the Indian as he stretched the lead to 13-8. Soon, the Chinese was up 15-9 with another powerful smash.
A body return followed by a straight smash took him to 17-9, and another long shot from Ayush further dented his chances. A perfectly angled smash into the forehand corner brought Shi within two points of victory. He then unleashed a cross-court smash to earn 10 match points and sealed the contest with a return that cramped the Indian, targeting his hip.
