A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a thorough revision of the voter list across the country, especially before elections.
Petitioner Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay has expressed concern over demographic changes brought about by foreign intruders. The petition has urged to ensure that only Indian citizens cast their votes.
On one hand, opposition parties are vocal against the process of intensive revision of voter list going on in Bihar and have filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding a stay on the process, which is likely to be heard on July 10.
On the other hand, a new PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court, demanding an order for a thorough revision of the voter list at regular intervals across the country, especially before the Lok Sabha, Assembly and local body elections. The petition states that this will ensure that only Indian citizens decide the politics and policy of the country.
Who filed the petition in the Supreme Court?
This petition has been filed in the Supreme Court by Supreme Court lawyer Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay. On Tuesday, Upadhyay mentioned the petition before a bench headed by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and requested for an early hearing, to which the court said that remove the flaws in the petition and the matter will be heard.
In the PIL filed, Upadhyay has also demanded from the court that the court should direct all the states to take action against those who help foreign intruders in obtaining illegal and fake documents.
What was the concern raised in the petition?
Expressing concern over the infiltration of illegal foreigners, the petition said that the demography of 200 districts and 1500 tehsils has changed due to illegal infiltration.
The petition states that it is the constitutional responsibility of the Central government, state governments and the Election Commission to ensure that only bona fide Indian citizens vote in the Lok Sabha, Assembly and local body elections and not foreigners.
For this, it is necessary to do a special intensive revision of the voter list from time to time. Apart from the Central Government, all the State Governments and Union Territories, the Election Commission and the Law Commission have been made parties in the petition.