The image of Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav riding motorcycles as their Voter Adhikar Yatra navigated the streets of Bihar’s Araria made it to the front pages of the Urdu dailies, which kept the spotlight on the 16-day, 1,300-km Yatra that will cross over 20 districts of the poll-bound state. Flagging the crowds that the Yatra is drawing, the dailies highlighted that its theme song remains Rahul’s “vote chori” allegations against the Election Commission (EC) and the BJP, amid widespread concerns over the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
Commenting on the Monsoon Session of Parliament being washed out due to disruptions, amid a protracted standoff between the Treasury and Opposition benches, the Hyderabad-based Munsif, in its August 22 editorial, notes that the government still managed to push 12 Bills through the two Houses. It points out that amid stormy scenes in the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill and two related Bills, which seek to remove Central and state ministers, including the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers, who face allegations of corruption or serious offences and have been detained for at least 30 days. “The Opposition members registered their strong protest against these Bills, even tearing them in the House.”
The daily says the Bills could be “the last nail in the coffin of our democracy”. “For some years, the BJP dispensation has been accused of destabilising Opposition-ruled states and grabbing power by unleashing various agencies against their leaders. But now, it is trying to go beyond this playbook to use a legal framework for this purpose,” it says. Apart from undermining the country’s federal structure, it says, the Bills violate the principle of separation of powers, with the government assuming the role of judiciary to punish an accused before charges are proved in a court of law.
The editorial states that the targeting of Opposition leaders through Central agencies has been seen in several states, such as Delhi, where the entire AAP top brass, including Arvind Kejriwal, were jailed over the liquor policy scam, and Jharkhand, where JMM leader Hemant Soren, during his previous regime, had to resign before being sent behind bars. “The government’s avowed objective behind these legislation is to ensure probity and transparency in public life, but there remain apprehensions that they would be used on a big scale against Opposition leaders. By short-circuiting due process, they would put Opposition states at the mercy of the ED or CBI — and the Centre,” the edit says, adding that the row seems to reinforce the Opposition’s claim that the government is trying to “change the Constitution”. “Although the Bills have been referred to the Joint Committee of Parliament, it is incumbent on every party to oppose them. Even the BJP’s key NDA allies like TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar should rise to oppose them, for the sake of our democracy.”
SIASAT
Referring to “enthusiastic crowds” that Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is drawing in Bihar in the course of his Voter Adhikar Yatra, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its August 21 editorial, writes that the campaigning seems to have hit a crescendo before the announcement of the Assembly poll schedule in the state. “The Opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance)’s campaign is intensifying as the Yatra is gaining traction. All eyes are on Rahul and the EC, with the SIR row continuing to roil the state,” it says. RJD face Tejashwi and other Opposition leaders have also joined Rahul’s Yatra, amplifying his “vote chori” allegations against the EC and the BJP.
Pointing to the deletion of 65 lakh names from the draft electoral rolls following the SIR’s first phase, the daily says many feel that these deletions have been carried out arbitrarily. “Tejashwi has been hitting out at both the Narendra Modi government and the Nitish Kumar dispensation. Targeting CM Nitish’s 20-year tenure, he is comparing it with the Mahagathbandhan’s brief stint at the helm,” it adds.
An “anti-incumbency atmosphere” seems to be building up against the Nitish regime, the editorial claims. “As the state’s youth are increasingly getting restive over the job crisis, Tejashwi is pledging a new deal for them, seeking 20 months to transform the state,” it states. “Tejashwi’s aggressive campaign has created a resonance, amid signals that change may be in the air. However, Nitish and the BJP have yet to ramp up their campaign, which would make the situation more interesting,” the edit says. While a united Opposition is riding high, the NDA appears to be a divided house, with LJP(RV) leader Chirag Paswan often tearing into the Nitish government, it says.
URDU TIMES
Highlighting the Supreme Court’s order directing the EC to allow excluded voters from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls to submit their inclusion claims along with their Aadhaar card, besides any of the 11 documents prescribed by the poll body, the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its August 23 leader, says that the ruling would provide relief to a large number of electors struck out of the electoral rolls. The editorial notes that the Opposition has welcomed the apex court’s decision, with the Congress saying that it has helped democracy survive an “assault from the EC”. “The basis of democracy is the right of a citizen to vote in a free and fair election. So if many voters are disenfranchised, what will be left of that democracy?” it asks.
The daily also asks why the EC had not included Aadhaar in its list of 11 documents in the first place, claiming that this might have been among the factors that led to the deletion of 65 lakh names from the draft rolls. “Aadhaar is considered a key document for common people, widely used for the entire gamut of official and private transactions,” it says, adding that the SIR also puts a question mark on governments formed on the basis of existing electoral rolls. Besides, the EC exercise betrays a bid to determine eligibility for citizenship, even though this is not within the poll body’s remit, the daily says, adding: “The top court has upheld the majesty of law and justice.”
According to the daily, the Aadhaar ruling has not only given relief to Bihar voters but also ensured such a template for the entire country for the SIR process. The voters of other poll-bound states after Bihar, including West Bengal, would be relieved as they look to exercise their franchise freely as mandated by the Constitution, it adds.