New Delhi, Dec 9 (LatestNewsX) – Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal fired back at the Opposition over their skepticism toward key constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission of India (ECI), electronic voting machines (EVMs), and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. He said the opposition blames these bodies to distance itself from electoral setbacks.
During a debate on reforming elections in the Lok Sabha, Meghwal did not name Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi directly, but he ridiculed Congress and its allies for repeatedly losing elections and, in turn, blaming the ECI. He also condemned the Opposition’s insistence on a parliamentary discussion about the SIR of electoral rolls.
“The truth is that the voters have rejected them completely, and they are alleging faults in SIR and EVMs. But reality is that they cannot see the shortcomings in themselves,” Meghwal said.
Adding a touch of Urdu poetry to illustrate Gandhi’s ineffective leadership of the Congress, the Minister shared a couplet from Ghalib: “Umar bhar Ghalib yahi bhool karta raha, Dhool chehre pe thi, aur aina saaf karta raha (All my life I kept making this mistake; the dust was on his face, but I kept cleaning the mirror).”
Meghwal claimed that the Opposition deliberately pushed for a debate on the SIR, even though the government reiterated that discussions cannot be held about the functions of a constitutional body. “They kept demanding a debate on SIR, but we suggested discussing electoral reforms,” he explained, noting that the Opposition’s obstinacy stalled parliamentary debate.
The Minister also criticized Congress and other opposition parties for pressing for an SIR discussion, fully aware that such a topic is not permissible in the House. He referenced former Speaker Balram Jakhar’s 1988 ruling that the ECI is a constitutional body and its operations cannot be debated in Parliament.
“If such a discussion has to take place, a proposal in consonance with the Constitution will have to be moved for the purpose,” Meghwal asserted.
Citing Article 326, which calls for regular purification of electoral rolls through SIR, and Article 324, which ensures that only eligible voters participate, he pointed out that the poll body has been carrying out SIR exercises for decades. Yet each election loss has led the opposition to blame the ECI or the SIR itself. He noted that between 1952 and 2002, SIRs were undertaken several times, but each time Congress came to power, they shifted the blame onto the election body.
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