MUMBAI: Mumbai has several Bangladeshis who have not been granted citizenship but have voting rights, and urgent action should be taken on this, said Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora on Thursday.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Deora, who was earlier with the Congress, welcomed the ongoing verification of electoral rolls in Bihar by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The Opposition, led by the Congress, has alleged that the ECI's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar for updating the voters' list, in which people are required to submit documents establishing citizenship, is aimed at "disenfranchising voters" ahead of the assembly elections. It has called the exercise "vote chori".
"When we met the EC, we also pointed out that there are many Bangladeshis in Mumbai who have not been granted citizenship but have voting rights, and urgent action should be taken on this," said Deora.
"As for the process they (Opposition) are talking about, that the Election Commission should check the voter rolls, that is exactly what the EC is doing, and we welcome it," he said.
Deora slammed the opposition parties, saying they lack internal democracy, and questioned their claim to protect India's democratic framework.
"These are the people who do not have democracy within their own party, so how will they strengthen democracy in the country? First, they should bring democracy into their own party," he said.
Deora also criticised the Opposition for what he described as a recurring pattern of scapegoating. "Earlier, they blamed EVMs, sometimes they blamed the media, and today they are blaming the electoral rolls. Tomorrow, they will find someone else to blame. This is nothing but an excuse to divert public attention, because there is no democracy in their own parties," he added.