Mumbai, August 23: In response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s commendation of India’s electoral system, Salman Ahmed, the National Media Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, expressed his views. He noted that Trump praised the necessity of photo identification in India, rather than the Election Commission itself. Ahmed emphasized that India should have enough self-confidence to not require validation from the U.S.
Ahmed pointed out that Trump highlighted India’s vast population, stating that if a country of such size can implement photo identification, then India should be able to do the same. However, he insisted that India should not rely on American validation for its electoral processes. “It is not that we are good if America praises us and bad if they do not,” he stated.
Regarding the State Identification Registration (SIR) process, Ahmed raised concerns about the exclusion of many genuine citizens from the voter list. He mentioned that data from states where SIR has been completed shows that numerous long-time voters are missing from the rolls, which he believes violates their rights. “Look at the numbers from Bengal and other states. Many individuals have been excluded for technical reasons during the process. There is no doubt that the SIR process has not been particularly successful,” he remarked.
Ahmed further asserted that the right to vote is a fundamental democratic right. He argued that it is unjust to deny anyone this right due to technical errors, such as misspellings of names. “If someone is deprived of their voting rights for such reasons, it is an injustice and a violation of their rights,” he added.
He concluded by stating that it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure that no voter is left out. “It is not the voter’s duty to prove themselves; rather, it is the Election Commission’s responsibility to ensure that every eligible citizen can exercise their right to vote,” Ahmed emphasized.
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