The voter list revision process in Bihar is the latest and perhaps the most dangerous attack on Indian democracy. Under the pretext of cleaning the voter list, The Election Commission, which is now a puppet of the Central Government, has called for every resident in Bihar to show proof of their eligibility as voters. The result of this exercise will be to deprive a large number of Indian citizens, especially the poorest and most marginalized of their most basic rights as citizens.

Voters have been asked to fill forms, produce documents and meet state officials to be recognized as eligible for voting. The very idea that after all these years, people who have been residents for generations and have voted many times have to once again prove their eligibility, is laughable. To add to this indignity is the fact that many people simply do not have documents handy. This is especially true of the poorest who have been neglected by the state and find it impossible to get documents. Bihar has the additional challenge of large number of migrants who may not be available when a government official comes calling. Finally, even if the exercise were well-intentioned and carried out with compassion, there is the matter of timing. It has been started a few months before a crucial state election in which the BJP and its allies are staring at a washout. Bihar, or for that matter any state bureaucracy cannot carry out such a vast, complex and important exercise in the few months left.

The final result will be the criminal disenfranchisement of a large number of Indian citizens. It is clear that this exercise will not be an isolated incident. The ‘Bihar Model’ is the latest weapon being developed by the RSS-Modi thinktank to rob Indians of our hard-won democracy and finish our Constitution. The Congress Party stands firm with the Indian people in the struggle against this fascist attack on our Constitution.

Jai Congress. Jai Hind. Jai Jagat.