CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday unanimously passed a significant resolution moved by Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, calling for constitutional safeguards to protect the voting rights of eligible citizens during the revision of electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The resolution also urged the Union Government and relevant constitutional authorities to ensure transparency, impartial scrutiny of electoral roll discrepancies and accountability in the election process.
Addressing the House, AAP MLA and Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema emphasised that protecting every eligible citizen’s right to vote was essential to strengthening Indian democracy. He said the Constitution of India was founded on the principles of equality, justice and the supremacy of the people. “Articles 324, 325 and 326 play a pivotal role in supervising the electoral machinery, preventing discrimination in voter rolls and guaranteeing universal adult suffrage,” he said.
Expressing concern over reports of large-scale deletions of names from electoral rolls and the exclusion of eligible voters, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the revision of electoral rolls had raised serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process in different parts of the country. “Public confidence in democratic institutions could be maintained only by ensuring that no eligible voter was excluded and every citizen’s voting rights remained protected.
Commending the House for unanimously supporting the resolution, the Minister said the right to vote was not merely an administrative formality but the voice of the common citizen and a fundamental expression of equal democratic participation. “Safeguarding this right is a collective constitutional responsibility that transcends political considerations,” he added.
