SP Writes To EC Ahead Of Bypolls

Uttar Pradesh SP chief Shyam Lal Pal has written to the state’s Chief Electoral Officer ahead of by-elections in the state. In the letter, he has sought that a written order be issued that “no police personnel will check the voter ID of any voter”. The SP leader demanded that the letter be issued to the Returning Officer, District Magistrate, General Observer and police officials. 
 
The letter further states that during the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the Police officials deployed at polling stations “misused their power and position, and made SP supporters, especially Muslim women voters remove their veils, scaring them.” “Following this, the voters had to return from the polling stations without voting and this affected polling percentage,” he said.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh appealed to all the electoral officers and NDA’s polling agents in Jharkhand and Maharashtra to not allow “vote jihad”. “They should remove the veils and check the voters. It is legally right to remove the veils and see their faces,” Singh said.

UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak termed the SP’s claim “completely misleading”. “It is their old hobby to raise such questions on constitutional institutions. We will all follow the rules and regulations of the Election Commission and participate in the voting procedure,” he said.