BJD Criticizes Voter Removal Process, Claims Democracy is Under Threat

New Delhi, October 6 (Daily Kiran) : Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Sulata Dev voiced strong criticism regarding the ongoing Special Identification Registration (SIR) process in Odisha, amid protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Dev revealed that approximately 2.75 million voters have had their names removed from the electoral rolls in the state.

In a democracy, citizens should choose their leaders, but according to Dev, the current situation is reversed. “Leaders are deciding who gets the right to vote,” she stated.

She cited the case in Bhadrak district’s Dhamnagar, where a Booth Level Officer (BLO) raised objections and reported the issue, leading to the suspension of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). Dev emphasized that across India, around 130 million voters have been disenfranchised. “What kind of democracy is this? It is not democracy at all,” she remarked.

Dev reiterated that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s only goal is to stand by the people of Odisha. She clarified that the BJD is not aligned with either the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) or the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). As a responsible political party, they are deeply concerned about the removal of voters’ names during the SIR process.

“Today, leaders are determining who will vote for them. If someone supports a particular party, they remain; if not, they are removed. This has never happened before,” she asserted.

She also accused Gyanesh Kumar of spreading falsehoods, referencing a previous statement where Kumar claimed that all decisions were made with the Supreme Court’s knowledge. However, the Supreme Court clarified that no such actions were taken by the Chief Election Commissioner.

Dev questioned Kumar’s integrity, asking, “Who is he listening to? What decrees is he signing? Are they coming from the BJP office?”

She highlighted a specific case in Dhamnagar where 227 minority voters were removed from a single ward and stated that this protest march is a response to such actions. This is not the first time Patnaik has demanded Kumar’s resignation, as he believes the entire electoral process is marred by fraud.

Carrying banners with messages like “Save Democracy,” the MPs from the INDIA bloc marched towards the Election Commission‘s office, chanting slogans against the Chief Election Commissioner, the BJP, and the RSS.