Welfare Party of India slams Election Commission’s move to revise Bihar voter list
New Delhi: The Welfare Party of India has strongly criticized the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to revise the voter list in Bihar, alleging that the move could lead to the mass exclusion of genuine voters ahead of the upcoming state elections.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, Dr. SQR Ilyas, National General Secretary of the Welfare Party of India, described the ECI’s decision as a “devious and dubious idea,” raising serious concerns about its timing and implications. With elections scheduled for November, Dr. Ilyas questioned the practicality of preparing a new list of 80 million voters in just 25 days, particularly when nearly 73% of Bihar is grappling with flood conditions.
He warned that such a hurried revision process could result in widespread disenfranchisement, as lakhs of government officials responsible for document verification would have unchecked authority to determine voter eligibility. “This undermines the very essence of adult franchise,” he stated.
Dr. Ilyas also highlighted the plight of thousands of Bihari migrant workers who are currently employed outside the state. Traditionally, many of these workers return during elections to cast their votes, but the ongoing revision may now prevent them from being included in the new list. Citing emerging reports, he claimed that as many as 20 million voters could be excluded through this process.
Referring to recent political developments, Dr. Ilyas noted that the INDIA bloc, a coalition of 11 political parties, has already met with Election Commission officials to voice their opposition. He asserted that the voter list revision amounts to an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution.
The Welfare Party of India, he affirmed, will join the INDIA bloc at the forefront of protests and legal efforts to challenge this decision.
Dr. Ilyas concluded by stating that the Election Commission, as an autonomous constitutional body, is duty-bound to uphold democratic principles and ensure free and fair elections. He warned that it must not allow itself to become “a tool to serve the ulterior motives of the BJP government.”
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
