A five-member delegation of the Trinamool Congress on Monday met the Election Commission (EC) urging the panel to ensure that thousands of persons in West Bengal, whose Aadhaar cards have been deactivated, should not be barred from casting their votes in the coming Lok Sabha polls. The EC assured the TMC leaders that voters will not be stopped from exercising their franchise.
The voters can cast their ballot showing their voter ID card or any of the other specified identity documents, the EC said. The TMC delegation comprising Rajya Sabha leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Dola Sen and Saket Gokhale, and Lok Sabha members Pratima Mondal and Sajda Ahmed met the Chief Election Commissioner and raised the issue of alleged Aadhaar deactivations.
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Briefing reporters after the meeting, Mr. Ray said several thousands of people found their Aadhaar cards deactivated without following the due process. The complaints to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) went in vain. “The Election Commission has assured that even if a person does not have the Aadhaar, he or she will be allowed to vote with other valid documents,” he said.
Property seizures
The TMC also questioned the inclusion of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the District Intelligence Committees created by the Election Commission to oversee expenditure in “financially sensitive areas”. In the memorandum submitted to the EC, the TMC noted that it is the first time such committees have been formed in West Bengal. The party pointed out that in 2022, the ED was granted permission to carry out property searches and seizures in Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases, even in the absence of a formal complaint, effectively assuming the guilt of the accused. “The agency has focused on Opposition leaders, especially during election periods, casting serious doubt on its independence,” the TMC memorandum said.
The memorandum also pointed out that till March 2023, the ED had registered 5,906 cases, but filed chargesheets in only 1,142 cases. Among these, the ED has resolved a minimal 25 cases, accounting for a mere 0.42% of the total registered cases. Remarkably, out of these 25 cases, the ED secured convictions in 24, indicating an alleged 96% conviction rate as asserted by the agency. “Given this, it is imperative that we question the role of the ED in District Intelligence Committees,” the memorandum said. Mr. Ray said they were assured that the exercise was being undertaken in the whole country, and State agencies would also be part of the committee.
