Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, accused the Election Commission of secretly implementing the National Register of Citizens in Bihar.
He said new rules require people to show birth documents for themselves and their parents.
Many poor citizens in flood-hit Seemanchal lack these documents. Owaisi warnedthat this could stop rightful Indian citizens from voting. He said it may harm trust in the Election Commission before the Bihar elections.
Owaisi posted on X that the Election Commission is conducting a backdoor NRC in Bihar. Voters must prove their birth details and their parents’ birth details with documents.
He said only three-fourths of births are registered. Most government documents have errors. People in Seemanchal are poor and cannot afford food, let alone keep documents. Owaisi called this a cruel demand.
He said the Supreme Court in 1995 questioned such processes. The court ruled voters cannot be removed without notice and due process.
Citizenship cannot be judged by limited documents. All valid proof must be accepted. Owaisi said the new rules could remove many poor voters from Bihar’s electoral roll. He called voting a constitutional right.
The rules vary by birth date. People born before July 1987 need one of 11 documents showing their birth details. Those born between July 1987 and December 2004 need their birth document and one parent’s birth document.
People born after December 2004 need their birth document and both parents’ birth documents. If a parent is not Indian, their passport and visa from the time of birth are required.
Owaisi said the Election Commission plans door-to-door voter checks in Bihar within a month. He called this unfair in a populous state with poor connectivity.
The Supreme Court in 1995 said the Election Commission must prove why someone is treated as a foreigner. Bihar elections are expected in October or November. The Election Commission has not announced an official date.
Experts have slammed the Modi-Amit Shah duo, who are using this process to rig elections. According to experts, it targets Muslim voters in Seemanchal by declaring them non-citizens.
This could strip their voting rights. He called it a move to harm democracy.
