The names of three Afghan nationals have been found on electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Jharkhand, leading to a controversy and opposition attacks.
Officials said the names of Asil Khan, Mohammad Aslam and Mohammad Ibrahim were found on the electoral roll for polling station number 286 in the Jamshedpur East Assembly constituency. Their names appeared at serial numbers 30, 31 and 33.
The Election Commission has since removed the three names from the voter list and ordered a detailed investigation into how they were included. It has also directed that legal action be taken against those found responsible.
EC Probes How Names Were Added
Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar told that the inclusion of foreigners in the electoral roll
was a serious matter. Kumar said an investigation had been launched to establish who assisted the three men and the process through which their names were added to the voter list. He added that a criminal action will be initiated against anyone found involved.
The Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police of Jamshedpur have been directed to carry out the investigation.
An official said investigative agencies were examining how the three names entered the electoral roll and whether an individual or a network had played a role.
“Investigative agencies are working to determine how the three names were included in the voter list and whether any individual or network played a role in the process,” the official said.
Questions Over Verification Process
The incident has raised questions about the procedures followed while adding names to electoral rolls and the document verification process. The investigation will also examine whether the three Afghan nationals were the only foreigners whose names appeared on the electoral rolls.
The Election Commission’s decision to remove the names and order a probe comes as the SIR process is underway in the state. The inquiry will seek to establish how the names were entered and whether anyone helped facilitate their inclusion.
BJP Targets JMM-Congress Government
The discovery has also triggered a political attack on the JMM-Congress government in Jharkhand.
BJP state spokesperson Sandeep Verma said his party had consistently maintained that attempts were being made to include the names of Bangladeshi infiltrators in electoral rolls for “vote-bank politics”.
Verma demanded strict action against those responsible for the inclusion of the three names.
The BJP’s allegation comes against the backdrop of the discovery of the three Afghan nationals’ names during the voter-roll revision. However, the investigation is yet to establish how their names were added or whether any individual or network was involved.
