In response to the opposition’s uproar against the Special Summary Revision (SSR) and demands for the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign, BJP leader Kiriti Somaiya launched a counterattack. He dismissed the entire protest as a political drama aimed at creating chaos. Referring to Maharashtra, Somaiya criticized Congress for weak participation during voter registration, accusing them of appointing only half of the required booth agents.
Challenge to Congress on Voter List Cuts
Somaiya said, “I will give you an example from Maharashtra. Out of one lakh booth agents supposed to be appointed, Congress only selected 50,000. The SSR process required voters to register themselves, but Congress did nothing.” He directly challenged Congress to reveal data on how many Bangladeshi and fake Muslim voter names were removed and demanded the publication of these lists.
He argued that Congress now realizes that many Bangladeshi and fraudulent Muslim names were deleted, which impacted their chances in the 2019 election. According to Somaiya, this has triggered the current dissent and protests against the Election Commission. He also accused the opposition of spreading misinformation to stay politically relevant.
Comments on Imran Khan and Other Issues
Addressing the controversy involving Bollywood actor Imran Khan, Somaiya stated, “I listened to Imran Khan’s speech and submitted additional evidence to the Election Commission today. Imran claimed public voices were being suppressed and alleged fraud in the SSR process, presenting himself as a concerned citizen.”
Somaiya revealed that Imran Khan was arrested by police but clarified that the actor is not allowed to engage in political activities in India. He warned that Imran and others like him would have to leave the country.
Responding to queries about voter deletions in Malegaon, Somaiya said over a lakh names were removed; more than half belonged to voters who were no longer residing there. This, he said, exposed the true face of Congress and SSR protesters. Somaiya’s remarks portray a determined BJP deeply involved in defending the election process while countering opposition allegations on voter list accuracy.
