Dipankar Bhattacharya slams ECI over SIR, to join Vote Adhikar Yatra tomorrow

Patna, Aug 16 (IANS) CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Saturday hit out at the Election Commission, holding it responsible for the voter-related problems arising out of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar.

“After the Supreme Court’s interim decision, the Election Commission had to step back. This is a good thing. Now it has to publish the data of deleted names on its website, which has been our demand since the SIR began in Bihar,” Bhattacharya said while speaking to the media persons in Delhi.

He announced that CPI-ML will participate in the Vote Adhikar Yatra, which kicks off from Sasaram on Sunday under the leadership of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav.

“We will make people aware of how the ruling parties and the Election Commission were conspiring in the name of SIR. We will expose the wrongdoings and ensure that no one’s vote is cut from the list,” he added.

The Yatra will pass through 23 districts before concluding with a massive rally at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on September 1.

Dipankar Bhattacharya also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address, calling it a “dangerous attempt” to rake up the issue of Partition.

"Yesterday, we heard PM Modi's words from the Red Fort. He made a record with a 103-minute-long speech, but the entire focus was on the partition. This is a dangerous attempt, as he challenged the country with a new danger by talking about Partition on Independence Day,” Bhattacharya said.

The Left leader alleged that the Prime Minister’s remarks were linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar.

“His indication was towards SIR, that is why he talked about demography. He also hinted at a backdoor NRC. In this Modi era, it will become difficult to live a free life in a free country,” he warned.

--IANS

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