Kolkata: Several citizens' initiatives have decided to stage protests over voting rights for those categorised as "under adjudication" pending under "logical discrepancy" and "unmapped" categories.
Desh Banchao Ganamancha, a citizens' initiative, claimed on Sunday that nearly 1.25 crore people were being virtually disenfranchised. "There is no logic behind trying to disenfranchise nearly 1.25 crore people. We don't know the yardsticks or parameters the Election Commission used to delete their names from the electoral roll published on Feb 28," said former state labour minister Purnendu Basu.
"If the EC finds anyone to be an illegal immigrant, the onus of proving this falls on the commission, not the other way around," said former state labour minister Basu added. "Union home minister Amit Shah said earlier that nearly 1.3 crore voters' names would be deleted from the electoral roll. It seems the EC took it up as its agenda and is obeying his orders," Basu said. Desh Banchao Ganamancha will start agitation programmes soon. Sangrami Ganamancha, tribal organisations, and ultra-left outfits, will take out a rally on March 5 and submit a deputation to the chief judge of the Calcutta HC and the EC.
"The adjudicated cases need to be decided fast, no polls should be held until these are finalised," said Kushal Debnath of Sangrami Ganamancha.