CHANDIGARH: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday said that ‘Vote-Chori’ (vote theft) poses a serious threat to Indian democracy and demanded the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, calling for an impartial investigation into the process and strict action against those responsible for irregularities.
The Chief Minister affirmed the country has reached a stage where the BJP government once chosen by the people is now deciding who could vote, warning that dictatorship had taken control of all four pillars of democracy. The Punjab Vidhan Sabha subsequently passed a resolution against SIR by voice vote, reflecting Punjab’s opposition to what CM Bhagwant Singh Mann declared as ‘Dhakkashahi’ (high handedness) and threats to citizens’ voting rights.
During discussion on motion to protect citizen’s voting rights under ongoing SIR, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said Punjab had taken the lead in the country by passing a resolution condemning the SIR exercise and stressed that every eligible citizen must be able to exercise the right to vote without fear of arbitrary exclusion.
Expressing concern over India’s international economic direction, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann warned that proposed trade arrangements could expose Indian agriculture to external pressure and allow American commercial interests to influence the future of Indian farmers. “Punjab’s farmers have already demonstrated their determination to defend their livelihoods. They will not accept any arrangement that compromises their interests or undermines the future of Indian agriculture,” he said.
