ITANAGAR, Sept 27: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Arunachal Pradesh, on September 27 defended the Election Commission of India (ECI) amid the ongoing controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters in Itanagar, party spokesperson Tobom Dai criticised Gandhi’s September 24 remarks on the functioning of the Election Commission. Dai said political leaders, particularly those holding constitutional positions, should verify information before making serious allegations against constitutional institutions.
Referring to a report by The Indian Express, Dai said the ECI’s clarification issued on September 26 provided context to the controversy over alleged differences within the Commission and the SIR process. The ECI said decisions related to the SIR had been taken with the unanimous approval of the full Commission.
Dai said the clarification should be considered while assessing the allegations and political claims surrounding the issue. He questioned the basis for demands seeking the CEC’s resignation and said discussions concerning electoral institutions should be based on verified information, official records and due process.
The BJP spokesperson also alleged that the Congress had repeatedly questioned constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission, when electoral outcomes went against it. He said such institutions should be respected irrespective of political outcomes and called for caution while commenting on their functioning.
Dai said issues concerning electoral rolls, voter inclusion and verification under the SIR process should be addressed through established constitutional and legal procedures rather than unverified claims.
Separately, BJP Arunachal Pradesh president Kaling Moyong and Arunachal Pradesh MP Tapir Gao referred to the ECI’s clarification in social media posts and stressed the importance of respecting democratic institutions and the electoral process.
The BJP Arunachal Pradesh reiterated that matters concerning electoral rolls and the SIR process were of public importance and called for responsible discussion based on verified information.
