Akhilesh says bid to delete minority votes; seeks intervention of SC
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged a conspiracy to delete names of voters in Uttar Pradesh by misusing Form 7 and urged the Supreme Court to take immediate cognisance of the issue, saying “no other institution inspires confidence now”.
In a post on X, Yadav accused the BJP and its allies of “behaving like criminals” and claimed that booth level officers (BLOs) were being harassed, pressured and threatened to cut votes of the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) society, particularly minorities, on the basis of forged documents.
He also shared a video of a man claiming to be a BLO, who narrated his alleged harassment.
Form 7 is the form used by voters to either object to someone's inclusion in the electoral roll or request deletion of a name already listed.
Calling for urgent action, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister demanded an immediate halt to the alleged misuse of Form 7 and protection of every voter’s constitutional right to vote.
He sought registration of FIRs against those forcing BLOs, fast-track hearings, a ban on the use of Form 7 until a “valid mechanism” is put in place, cancellation of all Form 7 submissions made so far, and an immediate stop to claim-objection activities.
Yadav further demanded a judicial probe to identify “anti-national forces” allegedly active behind what he termed as a conspiracy to delete citizens’ votes.
He appealed to “honest journalists and officials” to come forward and join the fight against such forces.
Addressing "PDA Prahraris", made by the party to protect interest of the PDA community, Yadav urged them to remain vigilant in protecting every valid vote, collect evidence of alleged irregularities and prepare FIRs, asserting that the ruling party’s actions stem from “desperation over an impending defeat”.
In a separate post, Yadav described ‘PDA’ as a unifying idea born out of shared suffering, saying, “Those who are oppressed are PDA.”
He said the PDA society was now united and confident enough to seek its own government to usher in “social justice”, equal respect and opportunities, and shared prosperity.
Claiming that “negative politics” based on division had run its course, Yadav said people across communities troubled by alleged excesses and corruption under the BJP rule were increasingly aligning with what he called a “positive, progressive and harmonious PDA”, adding that “PDA is the new name of hope.”
PDA is a term coined by Yadav during the 2022 assembly polls for backwards, Dalits and minorities.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
