Shashi Tharoor rejects Kiren Rijiju's charge over electoral roll protests

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor rejected Union minister Kiren Rijiju's comparison of protests over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls with unrest in Bangladesh and France. Tharoor stated that the Opposition is only demanding free and fair elections rather than seeking to topple the government.

Protests and Allegations

Tharoor asserted that the Opposition supports peaceful protests and does not condone violence such as the burning of buses and police stations seen in France. He said large numbers of people have been cut from electoral rolls through an irregular and partially illegal process, making this a constitutional issue. Rijiju had earlier alleged that anti-India groups and certain politicians conspired to incite young people and trigger violence, warning that any change of government must come through elections.

Institutional Concerns

Tharoor clarified that his criticism targets the current conduct of the Election Commission rather than the institution itself, stating that citizens are the custodians of democracy. The ongoing row involves protests by the Congress, the Cockroach Janta Party, and Left organisations demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. Over 13 crore names have been dropped from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union Territories during the exercise, while the Election Commission maintains that the process ensures accuracy.

Context

Electoral roll revisions are regular administrative processes handled by election authorities to update voter lists, though large-scale exclusions often spark political friction. Tensions between the ruling executive and opposition parties frequently bring constitutional bodies like the Election Commission into intense public debate.