The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council voter list controversy has escalated over software translation errors leading to communal accusations. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office has addressed concerns about unusual name translations, emphasizing that these mistakes were unintentional and not casteist.
Translation Errors in Voter Rolls
The issue emerged when the name ‘Ram hit Yadav’ was translated as ‘Ram ne Yadav ko Mara’ instead of being transliterated correctly. The UP CEO office explained that 158 entries out of over 14.81 lakh voter records showed similar anomalies where names of voters or their relatives appeared distorted due to software errors.
The software was supposed to transliterate names into English but mistakenly translated some, causing unusual phrases implying physical actions, such as ‘Ram ne Sharma ko mara’.
Clarification From the CEO Office
The CEO office denied any caste-based bias, stating, “Computers/software are not casteist. It is acceptable that we made a mistake, but fortunately, even during the mistake, there was no discrimination based on caste.” They added a cautionary comment about the sensitivity of such translations and their potential for communal accusations.
Officials further pointed out that electoral officers at division and district levels have been asked for explanations regarding these errors.
Political Reactions
AAP leaders questioned the software’s approach and questioned if it was biased. A video showing AAP’s Rajesh Yadav questioning why only ‘Yadav’ is depicted as being hit by Ram circulated widely. AAP leader Sanjay Singh called it a “valid question.”
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate criticized the CEO’s social media handling of the issue, suggesting it lacked credibility.
Election Commission Response and Voter Rights
Election Commission of India officials confirmed that the software was specially developed in-house for the Legislative Council polls. The CEO office underscored that voters would not be disenfranchised by clerical or printing errors and that voting officers are empowered to verify identity despite such mistakes.
The CEO office also reiterated that appropriate actions are underway to prevent such errors in future electoral rolls and warned against sharing forged voter slips on social media, urging verification from officials.
