LUCKNOW: Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the newly formed Indian People’s Front (IPF) has sought an inquiry into issues raised over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. To press for its demands, the party has also announced a three-day hunger strike across various districts of the state from October 3.
IPF president Shekhar Dixit said in a statement issued on Sunday that free and fair elections are the basis of a democracy and that electoral rolls must be accurate. However, he said no eligible Indian citizen should be deprived of their right to vote due to technical, administrative, or procedural reasons. He is also the president of the Lucknow-based Rashtriya Kisan Manch.
Dixit said the questions about the Election Commission of India's (ECI) functioning are "very serious" and called for an impartial inquiry.
This comes amid a political firestorm over an Indian Express report that questions were repeatedly raised on issues related to the SIR by two of the three commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
But Sandhu and Joshi have formally objected at least 14 times, on record, over the last 10 months to decisions taken and orders issued, they said were without their knowledge or recommendations, according to the report in the English daily.
This comes amid a political controversy following an Indian Express report that two of the three Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had repeatedly raised concerns over issues related to the SIR.
According to the report, Sandhu and Joshi formally objected at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders that they said were taken or issued without their knowledge or recommendations.
The ECI has maintained that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and asserted that all SIR orders received unanimous consent from all three commissioners.
(With inputs from PTI)