Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal’s demand for the verification of burqa-clad voters during the upcoming Bihar election has sparked a massive row, with the RJD accusing the BJP of resorting to the politics of “hatred” and BJP’s ally JDU distancing itself from the statement.
The verification of burqa-clad women at polling booths is among the several suggestions made by BJP chief Jaiswal during his meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar yesterday. “Tallying of faces of voters, especially burqa-clad women, must be ensured with respective EPIC cards so that only genuine voters get to exercise their franchise,” he told the media after the meeting.
Representatives of all political parties are meeting the Chief Election Commissioner in Patna to offer inputs and suggestions regarding the upcoming election.
Jaiswal’s remark on burqa-clad voters has triggered a strong response from the main opposition, RJD. Party MP Abhay Kushwaha, who led the RJD delegation that met the Chief Election Commissioner, was asked about the BJP leader’s comment. “This is a political conspiracy. The Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls has just been carried out. New EPIC cards are to be issued to all voters with fresh photographs. Identification of voters is no big deal. But the BJP wants to push its own agenda,” he snapped.
Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha has backed his party colleague’s demand for the verification of voters in burqas and drawn a parallel with Hindu women with a veil. “According to the Constitution, the law should be the same for all. Whether a woman is in a burqa or not, if the Election Commission imposes a rule to check the face of a woman voter, it should be the same for everyone. It is not acceptable that one can see the faces of women with ghoonghat (veil), but not the faces of women with a burqa. Women officers will check the faces of women voters. What is the problem?” Sinha said, saying the poll body’s decision will be final.
The BJP leader’s remark has not found support from its ally JDU. JDU leader Khalid Anwar said his party is “disappointed” over such statements. “The poll body must reply to this. Our leader, Nitish Kumar, does not endorse such politics. He has always worked for the rights of women,” he said.
A similar row had erupted last year when a video showed K Madhavi Latha, the BJP candidate for the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, asking burqa-clad Muslim voters to show their faces for verification. Later, then Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said voters at polling booths will be identified according to election rules, but with due respect to their cultural values.