Raipur : State Congress President Deepak Baij said that the BJP is disrupting the SIR process by pressuring administrative officials. Under the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SIR) process, Form 7 (application for deletion of voter name) is being misused in several districts. This is a matter of great concern, as it is leading to a conspiracy to remove the names of eligible and genuine voters from the electoral rolls without their knowledge or consent.
State Congress President Deepak Baij said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is printing Form 7 in large numbers to solicit objections. The objections are being filed by unauthorized individuals and are being submitted to unauthorized officials, a blatant violation of the law. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the government are abusing their power. In most cases, the complainants are nonexistent, and where they do exist, the complaints are false. The Election Commission should immediately take action to dismiss complaints filed against nonexistent complainants.
State Congress President Deepak Baij said that some political or anti-social elements are attempting to remove voters’ names by submitting fraudulent or mass Form-7s, and this should be investigated. In many cases, the voters concerned are not being given prior notice or an opportunity to be heard. Rural, tribal, migrant laborers, elderly, and illiterate voters are becoming the most vulnerable to this abuse. Complaints are also being received that Form-7s are being accepted without proper verification at the BLO level.
State Congress President Deepak Baij said that if names are arbitrarily removed through Form-7, it will be a serious blow to the fair and free election process. The Election Commission should ensure that physical verification and clear reasons are mandatory for every Form-7 application. Names should not be deleted without providing the concerned voter with written or digital notice and an opportunity for a hearing. A special investigation should be conducted into Form-7 applications submitted in bulk or suspiciously. Clear guidelines should be issued to BLOs and election officials not to accept Form-7 without solid proof. A prompt grievance redressal system should be ensured for complaints of misuse of Form-7. In accordance with the instructions issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, notices issued based on logical errors are not valid. Therefore, all such notices in Chhattisgarh should be cancelled.
