Free & fair polls: TMC team submits memorandum to ECI

A delegation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Parliamentary party submitted a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar urging him to ensure free and fair elections and to prevent Central agencies from interfering in the election process.

The delegation in its memorandum also expressed its concern regarding voter ID cancellation and also Chopra tragedy.

Trinamool Congress delegation also pointed out that Central agencies intimidating citizens has a serious effect on the election. The ruling party in Bengal on repeated occasions in the past had alleged that Central agencies intimidated voters in Bengal. “The nation looks to the Election Commission of India (ECI) for ensuring free and fair elections. It is every citizen’s wish that the ECI fulfils its constitutional duty, impartially. Central agencies intimidating citizens has serious implications on the election process,” reads the memorandum.

Raising concern over deactivation of Aadhar cards of many people in Bengal, the delegation in the memorandum said: “The Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has raised the issue of Aadhaar deactivation in a letter written to the Prime Minister. We have also written about this to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) but have found no recourse with the said Authority. This is why we are flagging this issue with the Election Commission of India.”

“As per latest information, Aadhaar cards of thousands of people in West Bengal have been deactivated and/or omitted without due process of law, particularly Regulation 29(1), (2) and (3) of The Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations 2016, which stipulate 29(1) “Any case reported or identified as a possible case requiring omission or deactivation may require field inquiry which may include hearing the persons whose Aadhaar number is sought to be omitted or deactivated,” reads the memorandum.