Punjab BJP leader slams CM Mann for questioning SIR

Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Friday criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for raising questions regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state assembly here.

Dhillon questions Mann over SIR

"You run the state government, your officers carried out the exercise, and you yourself conducted the SIR. Now you are the one raising questions about it," said Dhillon in a statement.

The BJP state president said the entire process was carried out by the state government's administrative machinery.

From Deputy Commissioners and Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) to officials at the booth level, all the personnel involved were under the state government's administration.

The Centre had no role in the exercise, he asserted. "If your officers made mistakes during the SIR, why did your party leaders visit the Election Commission and claim that everything was in order?" Dhillon asked.

He pointed out that while the Chief Minister was alleging irregularities in the SIR in the Assembly, leaders from his own party were telling the Election Commission that everything was fine.

He challenged Mann to identify even a single voter in the state whose name had been wrongly deleted from the electoral rolls.

BJP president holds state government responsible

Dhillon said that if any irregularities had indeed occurred, it would be a serious matter for which the state government itself would be responsible.

He described Mann's remarks as evidence of what he called an "incompetent" government, alleging that it had lost its ability to think clearly and make sound decisions.

He added that Mann appeared to have lost faith even in his own ministers and officials.

Dhillon said when the SIR exercise began in Punjab, Mann had promised that no voter in the state would be allowed to have their name deleted from the electoral rolls.

If anyone's name had been wrongly removed, the Chief Minister must answer for it, he said. Mann could not evade responsibility by making baseless allegations against the Central Government, Dhillon added.

Punjab Assembly passes resolution seeking independent inquiry

The Punjab Assembly on Friday unanimously passed an official resolution seeking an independent inquiry into alleged electoral irregularities and the functioning of the Election Commission under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Taking part in the discussion on the resolution on Day 2 of the Assembly session, Mann lashed out at the BJP over alleged 'vote loot', terming it dangerous for democracy, and demanded the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Mann claimed that names of 14 crore voters had been deleted from the electoral rolls nationwide under the garb of SIR, accusing the BJP of manipulating electoral rolls in the name of the Election Commission by adding voters in its favour and deleting those of the opposition.