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In this special edition of To The Point, watch Bihar Survey Truth Files, an India Today exclusive ground report on electoral roll revision that is being carried out by the Election Commission ahead of the state assembly elections.
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00:00Shukla comes home, picture-perfect splashdown in Pacific,
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00:15And we've got our pilot, Shubanchu Shukla,
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00:22And some big smiles, as you said.
00:24India reached a major milestone for the nation's space exploration.
00:28And we've got our pilot, Shubanchu Shukla, as our third crew member.
00:34Relief for Pune-Posha teen, Pune-Posha brat won't be tried as an adult.
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01:27India tells China to avoid trade restrictions and roadblocks.
01:31Elon Musk's Tesla to debut in India.
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01:42EV Giants' first showroom in Mumbai.
01:45Bihar is gearing up for an election.
01:55The process to prepare the voter list has started and it caused a stir.
02:09Special Intensive Revision or SIR has been criticised by the opposition as a backdoor attempt to introduce NRC in Bihar.
02:23The BLO is not really giving them any kind of a proper response.
02:27His wife fear does loom.
02:29They say they may get evicted.
02:31They say this must be a failure of the election commission.
02:33They are not doing the survey.
02:36India Today ground report cuts through the clutter and reveals the reality.
02:41It is time to unravel the Bihar truth files.
03:02Good evening girls.
03:03You are watching the special edition of To The Point where we are going to get in deep on the ground reports filed by my colleague Shreya.
03:10Shreya Chatterjee over the course of the last 15 days.
03:14My colleague Shreya has been reporting extensively from the state of Bihar.
03:19Ever since the special role revision has been taking place,
03:23there have been multiple comments that we have been hearing in when it comes down from the sources of election commission.
03:30Enough political commentary.
03:32But what is really happening on ground?
03:35My colleague Shreya Chatterjee finds out.
03:40We are here in Bihar right now.
03:47The special intensive revision process by the election commission of India is currently under its way.
03:53Now there are a lot of fear around this process because the opposition camp suggests this is a backdoor NRC.
03:58The marginalised community, largely the migrant community will be suffered by this.
04:03To assess the ground reality, India Today team will be travelling length and breadth of the state of Bihar.
04:08We have moved from Patna.
04:10We will be travelling to Simanchal.
04:12And we will get you whether there is any kind of disparity in the process that is being followed in the state.
04:18There is a clear rush to meet the deadline.
04:24Faced with scrutiny and criticism from the opposition, the special intensive revision of the voter role has now been simplified.
04:31Booth level officers are trying to get maximum forms uploaded even where there are no supporting documents available.
04:44In 2003 because it is in 2003 that it is in 2003 that it has a letter of the voter.
04:51The following and the following year has a letter of the voter.
04:54If they have 11 documents, they also have a letter of him.
04:57If they have a letter of the voter, they will be able to address their name.
04:59Yeah, they are saying this. In 2003, if their father's name is his name, then their son's name is also possible.
05:09This is the special intensive revision of Hajipur.
05:13In Hajipur, we got to see this in Hajipur.
05:16We got to see a lot of information.
05:18You can see that the letters are written in the mail.
05:21Please give your phone number.
05:24In Hajipur, most people are now eagerly participating, irrespective of their age.
05:36In 2003, the voters have automatic inclusion in the SIR process.
05:45They are saying that they are afraid of fear.
05:48At least in Hajipur, we don't get to see that we are 107 years old.
05:54We will say the young people who are following their names.
05:58They have to submit their documents.
06:01They have to submit their documents.
06:03We have to submit their documents.
06:10Did you receive your documents to you?
06:12Yes.
06:13Did you like to give the vote?
06:14Yes, I really like it.
06:15Do you know the rule that's going to be in Bihar?
06:18Yes, I know.
06:19Is the rule that's going to be true or wrong?
06:23It's true.
06:24Roughly an hour's drive away from Hajipur, India today reaches another key constituency
06:32of Bihar, Muzaffarpur.
06:54Bihar, Muzaffarpur.
07:24The process of revision and submission of forms for the voter list continues earnestly.
07:54After that, there is a new option called Special Incessive Receiving, SIR.
08:00We opened it.
08:02We asked to scan and QR code for immigration form or search by epic number.
08:08We search them.
08:10As we search them, we have already detailed details.
08:15As we see Simran Kumari, we will see her epic number, section number, constituency, part number, serial number, age.
08:26We will see her photo.
08:28When we see her photo, we will go to Next.
08:34We will ask her first question.
08:38Then we will scan and upload her first question.
08:43The second question is to upload a back-side photo.
08:47The back-side photo, which has been published by Avedak.
08:51After that, we will submit it.
08:55Then we ask to upload a click photo, which is the current photo.
08:59Then we scan the current photo.
09:01We scan the current photo.
09:03We scan the automatic date of birthday.
09:05Then we send the number of mobile.
09:07Then we send them to the form.
09:09After that, they have a father's name.
09:12They call their mother's name.
09:14They call their mother's name.
09:15Then they call their epic number.
09:17I believe that if in 2003,
09:20there is no document,
09:23but you are local, BLO.
09:26You know what you have.
09:28So you have authority that you can recommend after 2003.
09:33If they have a register,
09:35we get a register from the BLO.
09:37We check them from the register.
09:40From the previous election.
09:42From the previous election.
09:43If it is Rajiv Ranjan or Nihakumarji.
09:45If they are giving them,
09:47if they are Nihakumarji,
09:48then we send them to the form.
09:50Then we upload them.
09:52Without a document,
09:53you can recommend it.
09:54Because you are local.
09:56Yes.
09:59Boots-level officers commonly call the BLO
10:02of our locals,
10:03and they are working in tandem
10:04with elected representatives and voters
10:06to scan the existing voter list
10:08for dead and ghost voters.
10:10Hello, my number is
10:12from the Gumball,
10:13it's made for the media.
10:14Is it the name of the local government?
10:15Do you have any kind of list?
10:17Like you said,
10:18you don't have to tell the existing list?
10:19We have a list for the list.
10:20The list is a list.
10:22We have a list for the list.
10:23We have so many people.
10:24We have so many people.
10:25We have so many people.
10:26Which are now not to be updated.
10:27The form is not to be recorded.
10:28We have to leave the form.
10:29We have to leave it.
10:30We have to leave it.
10:31We have to leave it.
10:32We have to leave it.
10:33We have to leave it.
10:34The work is tedious and thankless, yet most critical for the successful dance of democracy.
11:03There could be difficult places. You can see he particularly has a document pertaining to the schools. That is the reason he is submitting it with the documents. But because some people don't have, sometimes that's why even though Aadhaar will not be eventually accepted is what she's saying and suggesting.
11:21As of now, on the document, they are filling the Aadhaar and submitting the document. And later wise, if the 2003 document list has some mismatch, then probably they will be coming up with the next set of process.
11:37But we are also told that the process says that your land document or your vanshawali, which a panchayat office can give you, may also be accepted.
11:46How that goes, we will get you the detailed ground report as we travel the length and breadth of Bihar.
11:51Another district, another village, another story of missing names.
12:03They were voters then.
12:16We know that the Simanchal region is now in the conversation because of the fact that a lot of people believe that it's been dominated by the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants is why the special intensive revision process is required in the first place.
12:45And hence, we have traveled to Simanchal to understand and assess the ground reality.
12:51In Chimney Bazar village of Munya district, people are fighting a battle to ensure their fundamental right, right to vote.
13:15So I'm not talking about those who are going to vote on.
13:21foreign
13:28foreign
13:33foreign
13:38foreign
13:43The deletion of names have irked the locals.
14:00They allege their language and religious identity has been targeted.
14:13They have been targeted for adults in2018 and they cannot be targeted.
14:18They are being targeted by Mulde's and the family of families.
14:25And they are also believed in Bangladesh.
14:32In Mulde's , the child has been targeted by Mulde's.
14:37Today, they are the former mother of Mulde.
14:40foreign
15:10foreign
15:40Time is of the essence right now. People refuse to give up their fight for the right to vote.
16:10They have all started with their rights. One who has been rewarded, should they be rewarded?
16:15One voter should be rewarded with him. This system should be made of government.
16:20There are so many people who have voted in 2024 and don't like them.
16:25Do you listen to them in Bihar?
16:27No, they are listening to them first.
16:31So you can see over here, there is obviously a sense of confusion on what's going to happen.
16:37The BLO is not really giving them any kind of a proper response is why fear does loom.
16:42They say they may get evicted.
16:44They say this must be a failure of the Election Commission.
16:46They are not doing the survey right.
16:48Some are also putting in apprehensions that probably because they belong from a certain community
16:52is why this kind of step has happened.
16:55And that's entirely out of the politics that's also playing on the sidelines of the Bihar SIR process.
17:01But these are huge number of people.
17:03You can understand if from one particular ward of a district in Bihar,
17:09we have found out 400 people who have still not got their enumeration forms.
17:15They don't appear on the list.
17:17These are people who have voted in the 2024 election as well.
17:21Then this does put a question on what is the process forward.
17:27India Today team went undercover to talk truth to some of the BLOs working on the ground.
17:33The problem is, we have to work with the people who have to work in the world.
17:44They don't have to write on the data.
17:47How many people have taken it?
17:49They don't have to report reports.
17:55They do it.
17:56They don't have to report reports.
17:58Less than an hour's drive away in Katihar district,
18:20people living by the mighty Mahananda River get displaced every monsoon.
18:25Generations live in makeshift houses and that's their home.
18:36This time they are not enumerated in the voter list and no BLO has come looking for them.
18:45We are in this village called Dhabol in Katihar and you can see the Mahananda River is just
18:52on the adjacent side of this particular village.
18:56It's one of those areas in Simanchal which is infamous for floods.
19:01Floods are a normal life of these people who stay here.
19:05We want to understand that whether the boot level officers as being claimed by the election
19:12commission are visiting their villages or not.
19:14If there is no one at home, we are going to go to jail and cut them.
19:18If there is no BLO and if there is no one coming, it will be cut off?
19:22Yes, it will be cut off.
19:23If there is no one coming, what do you say?
19:25It will be cut off.
19:26Yes, it will be cut off.
19:33If there is no one coming, if there is no one coming, it will be cut off.
19:38As you heard them on the ground, this is something which shouldn't happen because it is called
19:43a special intensive revision.
19:44It is supposed to be intensive in nature.
19:46The election commission every day is suggesting that a huge number of BLOs are already working
19:51on the project.
19:52If there is a manpower deficit, then more BLOs can also be connected on the ground despite
19:58so.
19:59The ground reality hits a little different when you move from the urban pockets towards
20:04the rural belts.
20:05The BLOs here are not visiting their homes.
20:07They are sitting in their cushy comforts, we would say.
20:10And they are expecting people to just find out and just come to them so that they submitted.
20:15So this is a grim reality.
20:21There is pressure on the BLO officers to reach the target and that makes them rush through
20:27the entire verification process.
20:29Rockies.
20:30It is not in the fight and that the mall has been sent to them, it has been sent to them.
20:36The government has been sent to them to the Nile.
20:38And the metal book is now published by the Nile.
20:39And the摄 Clark-Stisac region.
20:40The corrugation of the entire document is new at Dilevata.
20:41And the home of the Nile.
20:42The government has been sent to one of the public akan collection.
20:43The government is looking to have that.
20:44You have been sent to one of the public's offices in the internet for the app.
20:45The government has been sent to the akt in Dilevata region of the local government.
20:46And the government has been sent to several other agencies.
20:47But now, what do I mean that?
20:48I don't think about her earlier in the UK?
20:50Yes.
20:51Here, the entire government has been sent to them.
20:52This rush leads to people falling through the cracks.
21:11In three panchayats of this area, the 2003 list is reportedly missing,
21:16leading to deletion of names that even the BLO on ground was not aware of.
21:22It's not the case.
21:28We don't do it.
21:30We don't do it.
21:31We don't do it.
21:33We don't have the case.
21:34There are no questions.
21:35There are a few questions about the problem.
21:38How are the people doing this?
21:42No, we don't know.
21:45We don't know the problem.
21:46But how it's happening?
21:48The deadline approaches and there is a rush that beats the purpose of special intensive
22:02revision of voter list in Bihar.
22:18Nearly two hours from Katihar via Purnia is Kishan Ganj.
22:29The Indo-Nepal border is another hour and a half drive away.
22:35This entire region is not only closer to Nepal but also very close to North Bengal.
22:44The Bangladesh border is not far away either.
22:48The demographics of the region is mixed and the porous border complicates things further,
22:53posing challenges for the special intensive revision of election commission.
22:57This country is not far away either.
23:02This country is not far away either.
23:06This country is not far away.
23:10After the 12th, they refused to refuse officially.
23:13After the 72th, the 17th was back to the 12th.
23:17After the 17th, one of the 17th was back.
23:25He came and came and came.
23:28After the 17th, he told us that we were in the survey.
23:35We have come from Delhi, I talked to him from the election commission.
23:40Yes.
23:41Yes.
23:42Yes.
23:43Yes.
23:44Yes, sir.
23:45He said that we are our own hands and our own hands.
23:47Yes.
23:48Yes.
23:49We have a government.
23:50We have to take everyone to work.
23:53We are taking a time for the time.
23:56We have to take everyone to work.
23:57Yes.
23:58Yes.
23:59When you have been told in the beginning, we have to take documents.
24:01Yes.
24:02Do you have any of these documents?
24:04Yes.
24:05We have to apply the people to the people of the government.
24:09They changed the country, it ended up in September, we started to create a country in Japan.
24:27So now we know about Nepal, we know about Nepal and of Nepal and of Nepal, we know about Nepal.
24:38But you have named it?
24:40Yes, I have named it.
24:42So, did you say that you have listed them as two?
24:44Yes, yes.
24:46And you want to make a form for them?
24:48Yes, yes.
24:50Did you meet Bangladesh here?
24:52Bangladesh.
24:54Did you write Nepal?
24:56Yes.
24:58Do you have any data or link to Bangladesh?
25:00Yes, yes.
25:02Do you know that?
25:04Yes.
25:06Why don't you send that information to Bangladesh?
25:08Yes.
25:10We will target them.
25:12There is no fear.
25:18People in and around Sheshabadi village
25:20have traditionally been migrants from Bengal
25:22and Bangladesh as well.
25:24Many are married to Nepali women.
25:30One of the BLOs India Today approached
25:32was himself married to a Nepali citizen.
25:34He showed us forms of 27 Nepali citizens kept separately.
25:36He was married to a Nepali citizen.
25:38He showed us forms of 27 Nepali citizens kept separately.
25:40Zimbabadi camera
25:46,
25:50important when it was a child.
25:52He had to make money after this.
25:54It is about a temporary payment,
25:56which need to be paid for your family.
25:58Although many of the families are available,
26:00there are no concerns.
26:02Not the concerns for the Nepali community.
26:04the
26:34But how did Bangladesh have you identified?
26:37Did you tell me about it?
26:39No, I did not.
26:40I was wondering, you have identified a Muslim Muslim in your relationship?
26:43I have not seen that.
26:45I have not seen that.
26:47Now look, it's not been seen.
26:49No one has come to this.
26:51If anyone has given it,
26:53someone has given it.
26:55It's got a document.
26:57But his father is still there.
27:00But the documents are still there.
27:02He didn't have documents, and when we didn't see the documents, it was going to happen.
27:08It came in 1987, and if it was in 2003, it was the name of the bottle.
27:16Is it or not?
27:17Is it or not?
27:17Do you see it?
27:18No, we don't have to see it.
27:20They don't have to see it.
27:22I gave it to you, this is your name.
27:24I gave it to you, and you have to put documents in your mind.
27:27This is your mind that you have to put documents in your mind.
27:30It's not my job, so documents are your job.
27:32We have to put documents in your mind, and we have to put them in your mind.
27:36Now, tell you all the things.
27:38This is the one that you have to put documents in your mind.
27:43It's about 2003, which is the name of 2003, which is the name of 2003, which is the name of 2003.
27:53It's the name of your mind.
27:55You put it in your mind, and you don't have to put it.
27:58You put it in your mind, and what you put it in your mind.
28:09You always put it in your mind.
28:19I am very proud of you.
28:24How do you prepare the documents?
28:27I am very proud of you.
28:31I am asking for this.
28:34We are in Delhi.
28:37We are in Delhi.
28:39We are in the Adhaar Center.
28:44My wife has to make it.
28:47You are making it money.
28:50You are making it that way.
28:53Now this is the agenda.
28:57This is the plant.
28:59Never mind.
29:01Finger is making it.
29:05Finger is making it.
29:07No reason.
29:09What should I say?
29:12my wife has made it.
29:14Medya what means?
29:15it means a medical exam.
29:17It is a medical exam.
29:19There is an exam where the students are paying.
29:22Now we don't have to do a medical exam.
29:24We don't have to do a medical exam in the medical exam.
29:26The medical exam is our certificate.
29:28The certificate is the certificate.
29:30You can start the certificate by this certificate.
29:33It is the certificate you can start from the SFC.
29:35It is the certificate getting the certificate from SFC.
29:37Locals claim that this migration has been a long established tradition of the
29:42Women who have come from Nepal and settled here after marriage want their due recognition.
30:12It is indeed a simple process to walk across the border to Nepal from here.
30:23We are right now on the India-Nepal border. That is India as you see.
30:27And on my left-hand side, I'll ask my cameraman Sanjay to show you that that is Nepal.
30:34Now I'll just show you that I am not carrying my passport.
30:38This is an Adhaar card that I have and based on this I will be going inside Nepal.
30:43We have our carriages who will be taking us from India to Nepal and we will give you a short tour
30:49and just give you an understanding of how porous our borders exactly are.
30:54So this is a journey that we are taking only for people to understand who are away from these localities
31:02which is the ground zero because they clearly do not have an understanding of how
31:07borders essentially are. We probably think that borders are well guarded all the time.
31:13It are closed enclosures but look at how we are just crossing into Nepal without any kind of a passport.
31:22Just with my Adhaar card if at all I am stopped but essentially that's what something that does not really happen.
31:30and we are in the land of Nepal right now. It is a friendly country with India and people very easily move around from one place to another.
31:44There are a lot of people in India who are also Nepali. They are married from Nepal and that's exactly the reality what you see.
31:54Right now we are not in India. We have crossed over. We are in Nepal and despite this kind of a porous nature
32:01when we have people and normal movement it is a bigger question that a lot of people at least in Simanchal
32:09in Kishanganj are asking if we can move around so normally why are you suddenly excluding people from the border list.
32:19That's something for the election commission to answer but the ground reality is what we are right now showing you.
32:24People claim they have a relation of roti and beti with both the countries Nepal and Bangladesh.
32:33No.
32:34No.
32:35No.
32:36No.
32:37No.
32:38No.
32:39Any luxury of banglades who have Myanmar because you don't get a good word from there.
32:41haha
32:55Therefore, this means it will be gone.
33:00Porous border, politics and policy paralysis to vote bank appeasement for long
33:06has changed the demography of the region.
33:11The special intensive revision of the election commission is too late a response.
33:17Even then, it's being carried out in a confused and scattered manner.
33:20This defeats the purpose but certainly fans the politicking powers.
33:27With video journalist Sanjay, Shri Achatterjee reports from Kishanganj, Bihar, for India Today.
33:50Cut across to our panelists, but before I do so, I want to bring in my colleague Shri Achatterjee
33:54who spent the last two weeks cutting across the length and breadth of the state of Bihar.
33:59Shri Achatterjee, well done.
34:00That's a very well investigated report.
34:04Congratulations on that.
34:05But if you can, you know, we played it out the full 22 minutes, you know,
34:10trying to encapsulate your travels across the state of Bihar.
34:15If you had to make five bullet points on this exercise which is being conducted in the state of Bihar,
34:22how would you sum it up in terms of the issues that you saw on ground?
34:31Well, Priti, the current part of the SIR process, I would say, is completely diluted.
34:37Unlike what it is supposed to be, an intensive process that is not what is happening on the ground.
34:41Whatever markers were decided by the Election Commission about BLO visits, about ensuring documents,
34:48no Aadhaar card, nothing really is happening.
34:50It is about as quickly as you can fill up the forms and submit so that people do not get deducted from
34:57that from 25th onwards, the intensivity of the process will be checked based on whose documents are missing.
35:06There are lists that have been prepared on ground level because we have got information from the Election Commission
35:11about the combing of foreign nationals that will also be done as a part of this process.
35:16And that intensity we will be seeing post the 25th of July and subsequently that will go on
35:22and the list that will then be coming is on the 1st of September.
35:26So that is a real issue.
35:27We are not seeing BLOs visiting everyone's residence all the time.
35:31One thing is important to point out that BLOs have their own phones linked with their OTPs
35:40where they submit the forms.
35:41However, we have gone to places where BLOs are just accepting forms.
35:45Separate teams have been prepared for filling up.
35:49All these things are done well, sanitized well.
35:52There is no leaks, nothing wrong happening on the part is a job of the Election Commission to do.
35:57But clearly, we have seen that there is no uniformity of the process that is currently under its way in Bihar.
36:04Shreya, you know, stay with me because we are going to bring in our political panel.
36:07There is because there is so much political commentary around this particular subject.
36:11But is it, Shreya, before I go to our political panelists, I want to ask you one quick question.
36:17Is it a real concern that this exercise will not be sanitized and completed where we don't see large-scale disenfranchisement of votes in the time frame that it is to be conducted in?
36:31Is that a real concern?
36:32Well, if we talk about combing of foreign nationals, we will definitely be seeing people being left out of the voting process.
36:43But before that, Preeti, we have already found out people, especially in Simanchal, in Muslim pockets, where these people are not on the list.
36:50Even on camera, we recorded one individual who is there on the last list that's uploaded by the Election Commission dated 2025, but no form there.
37:02Suddenly, the person has gone missing.
37:04So, these are issues that we have actually recorded.
37:08So, clearly, the fear of disenfranchisement is something that will loom.
37:12So, the reason, so I say, Preeti, because before the SIR, the state also saw the summary revision process.
37:18Why there has been so much of political discussion is because the clarity on the ground about these processes.
37:26And even the BLO seem to be lacking that clarity.
37:29But stay with me, Shreya, because you're going to be answering most of the questions today, not me, because we're going to cut across to our political panelists.
37:36Sanju Verma, National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party joins us.
37:39Dr. Ajay Alok, National Spokesperson, Congress, Kanchan Ayadav, Spokesperson, RJD, Rajeev Ranjan, Spokesperson, JDU.
37:46I want to begin with Ms. Sanju Verma.
37:48All of you will get two minutes' time to put your points forward and then direct all your questions to my colleague, Shreya, who spent the last two weeks in the state of Bihar.
37:57I'm just the medium here.
37:58And there is a gap.
38:00You know, we can sit ad nauseum in studios, debate about what's really going on, whether it's morally correct, legally right.
38:06But is it being done in the proper fashion?
38:09Then it has been envisioned for.
38:11That, for you, was there to see.
38:13Sanju Verma, your two-minute start now.
38:15Because at least, and I can vouch for my colleague, Shreya Chatterjee, who's been on ground over the last two weeks.
38:21It's not as simple as it looks.
38:23It's not as simple to fit it in one line which says we need to delete bogus waters.
38:28There is a lot more that is going on.
38:30There are various slips between the lip and the cup here.
38:33Okay, we don't seem to have Sanju Verma.
38:39We'll cut across to Sanju Verma in just about a minute.
38:41Rajiv Ranjanji, what do you want to do with this question?
38:43Because you came in the last show, you had a clear question that we want to be a bogus voters in this country.
38:51It's not a bogus voters, Rajiv Ranjanji.
38:53Shreya Chatterjee, who's my colleague, is not a different report.
38:57Report after report is just saying that it's not easy to do what happens.
39:01There are a lot of people who are going to leave.
39:03And if there is one vote in the democracy, it's a big sin.
39:07And if there is a lot of people who are going to leave, they are going to leave.
39:25But there are a lot of people who are going to leave.
39:41And if there is a lot of people who are going to leave, they are going to leave.
40:11Or if there are a number of people who are going to leave,ies and leave.
40:16So vote regarding this case, it may be an issue of people who are going to leave.
40:20There are also a lot of people who have noticed this.
40:25There are a few people who have been mentioned in this country.
40:27This weekend, we have been to say we've got about two countries.
40:30The past couple of those who have been released,
40:34there are a lot of people who have been involved in this country.
40:37If there are these countries who have been involved,
40:38it will come to signal to the crisis.
40:40foreign
40:47foreign
40:54foreign
41:03foreign
41:08foreign
41:09I will see you in the next few minutes.
41:39But it doesn't come if there is a rule that it comes with documents.
41:43Shreya told Shreya three times that if you give documents,
41:47the main thing is that the form can be filled and uploaded.
41:52And if it comes with documents, this is not the number.
41:56These BLOs told Shreya clearly.
41:59Shreya, am I correct on that?
42:04Well, absolutely, Preeti.
42:05You know, we have seen that happen,
42:08that only when the forms were submitted without documents,
42:11the percentage also increased.
42:13All BLOs said that initially, during the timeline of the first week,
42:16they were not getting the forms back.
42:18People were not filling them.
42:19Some of them don't even know how to fill
42:21because the literacy rate is really low.
42:23They have to, the BLOs have to assist them.
42:25So that is the reason now we see the relaxation that's been done off record,
42:29we would say, till the 25th of July.
42:32Sanju Verma, would you want to come and weigh in?
42:34Because like I said, you know, we can go ad nauseum on the need for this.
42:37Nobody is questioning the need for it.
42:39Yes, nobody wants bogus voters.
42:41But the situation on ground is very different, Sanju Verma.
42:43It was detailed over the last 25 minutes on this network.
42:46You know, Preeti, can you please repeat your question?
42:51There's some glitch with the Zoom link.
42:53I could not hear you.
42:55Sanju Verma, on debates like this, there's always a glitch in the Zoom link.
42:58But I'll repeat my question.
43:00Can you hear me, ma'am?
43:01Can you hear me?
43:02Okay, we'll cut across to Sanju Verma in just about 30 seconds.
43:05We're going to sort that link out for Sanju Verma.
43:07But Dr. Rajoy Kumar, you know, the case is in court.
43:11It will be heard.
43:12But the fact remains on ground that there are discrepancies that need to be sorted quick and fast.
43:18And the fear that opposition parties like yours have raised, will it all be completed in the timeframe, is real.
43:25And you can see that on ground.
43:27No, the first question is, I definitely strongly and we as a party believe that the Election Commission has done a political act.
43:38The diversion from the failure of Nitiji's government, everybody has been only talking over the SIR for the past thing.
43:45Then the issue of Bangladeshi and Myanmar and Nepal and all that thing is, you know, only this has been designed to divert everybody's attention, the first question.
43:56And I want to compliment Shreya for the wonderful reporting and simple thing like, how do I prove I've given you my form?
44:03You were supposed to give me a receipt? The receipts are not available anywhere else and everywhere that people are reporting on that.
44:10But the most important thing on whether it is Nepal people from Nepal outside.
44:14This government in this past 10 years has sent four people back from states, Telangana, till 2018 in the parliament.
44:22There's four people who were identified as non-Indians in the electoral roll, four people.
44:30Recently, four people from Maharashtra were transported to the Bangladesh border, pushed out and then brought back again.
44:39Like, you know, the whole thing, Preeti, is to this is the Election Commission behaving like an election department of the BJP.
44:48The most important, the same chief election commissioner was the election commissioner.
44:52He gave voter ID cards during his time when he was election commissioner.
44:57When he was election commissioner. Now he's saying those are not valid.
45:00And the same election commissioner, Preeti, is saying that 2003 special intensive revision, they have no copies of the report.
45:09Can you imagine that the election commissioners officially said it, that we cannot locate the report of 2003 special intensive revision before this process is over?
45:21What would, what is your belief in this election commission then? Why are they doing it?
45:27They should have done it one year back. Nobody is denying it.
45:30Fair point. Okay, let me take that question to Sanju Verma. I think we have her right now.
45:34Because Sanju Verma, we can keep debating it in studios. It's not about that.
45:38It's an entirely different world, which is playing out on grounds where the BLOs, some of them equally confused as the voters.
45:45These are questions that need to be addressed. It's a serious exercise that you are conducting, which could actually lead to disenfranchisement of many voters, ma'am.
45:53Preeti, am I audible? Yes, ma'am. Go ahead.
46:04Okay. Preeti, I'm tired of this demonizing of the election commission by the Congress and its Darbari ecosystem.
46:10First and foremost, let's get one thing very clear. There are 7.9 crore voters in Bihar.
46:16And the election commission yesterday said that there are 11 days pending till July 25th for the exercise.
46:22And guess what? 88.18% of the enumeration forms have been filled in, which means more than 6.9 crore voters, their enumeration forms have been filled in and the due process has been undertaken.
46:36The election commission said only 11.82% of the enumeration forms need to be verified and filled in, which means barely 93 lakh odd voters out of the total voter count of 7.9 crore voters, they are pending.
46:53So the first thing is, with 88% of the enumeration forms having been filled in, the election commission needs to be applauded.
47:01Secondly, calling the election commission as Godi Aayog, let me remind the Congress that it was T.N. Session, who in 1989 was Rajiv Gandhi's cabinet secretary.
47:11And lo and behold, from 1990 to 1996, he was made the chief election commissioner.
47:17And after Rajiv Gandhi's death, he was given the position of member of planning commission in a classic case of quid pro quo.
47:241996 to 2001, M.S. Gill was the chief election commissioner.
47:28In 2008, the Congress government made him union minister for sports and youth affairs.
47:33So stop demonizing the election commission time and again and what the SIR seeks to do.
47:39Is it in line with the representation of People's Act 1950-51?
47:43Yes.
47:44Is it in line with the powers bestowed on the election commission-wide Article 324, 325 and 326?
47:50Yes.
47:51Is it in line with the registration of electoral rules 1960?
47:55Yes.
47:56And the Supreme Court has said that the election commission...
47:58Ma'am, your time is up.
48:00Sanju, I'll circle back to you with the question that I had asked Mr. Ranjan as well from your ally party who's here, the JDU.
48:08The 88% that we are harping on is useless until and unless documents are attached to that 88%.
48:15And not one document is attached, ma'am.
48:17We'll only know in time whether or not it stands at 88%.
48:22Because we began this chat with my colleague Shreya where she elucidated.
48:26The BLO's made it very clear.
48:28Initially, the forms had to be attached with documents.
48:33And that process was slow.
48:34It was extremely sluggish.
48:36That is why they were de-linked.
48:38Ultimately, the documents need to go.
48:40And that will lead to another cycle of chaos.
48:42You and I both understand that.
48:44Kanchan Yadav, I want to bring you into this whole conversation.
48:47Kanchan Yadav, constantly the narrative, especially by the ruling party in your state is that the likes of your party want these bogus voters, especially where Simachal is concerned.
49:02You've cultivated them and that is what you want to hide and save.
49:06Preeti ji, there are three, four important points that your colleague is also mentioning.
49:12The first important point is that the election commission every day announcing one new number.
49:18One day they say that we have distributed 80% of forms and collected 80% of forms.
49:24Our point is that how many people have submitted their document that is required?
49:36And how many have not submitted their document?
49:38Will their name appear in this final electoral roll?
49:42And second, now they are saying we have removed 35 lakhs people name from the bogus voters.
49:49These are the bogus voters.
49:50Now I am asking the same question, Rajiv ji, can you please explain to us that these bogus voters did vote for you in 2024 Lok Sabha election?
50:00And third most important point is when this process was about to start, the election commission said that BLO will go door to door and fill out the form.
50:10And now the BLO is not asking everybody, ask anybody from the behalf, they will say no, BLO is not coming at our home.
50:18We are going at the place where BLO is sitting under the tree and BLO filling the form by themselves and signing it and uploading it.
50:26And that's what is happening in Bihar.
50:28And fourth, most important point, Priti ji, that they are saying that Bangladesh is going to come back, don't forget it.
50:38That in 2019, through the Citizenship Amendment Act, the same BJP government announced that,
50:44in 2014, those Hindus who have come, other than the Muslims who have come,
50:51they will get their citizenship.
50:52So what is their name in this electoral role?
50:56And it's not going to happen.
50:57This question is, Rajiv ji, you have to give them.
50:59The bogus voter is your government, Rajiv ji.
51:01And the bogus voter is coming.
51:03The question is for you.
51:04The question is for the election commission.
51:05All our panelists, 30 seconds each.
51:08I'm afraid that's all the time we have for our report.
51:10And I hope you will appreciate it.
51:12Went down a little longer than expected.
51:14But Rajiv Ranjan ji,
51:162003, when it was a total result of Rajiv Ranjan ji,
51:19you will remember that it was 10 months ago, Rajiv Ranjan ji.
51:22Now the result of that result, you are trying to try to make it in three months.
51:27There is no sound.
51:28Rajiv Ranjan ji,
51:29Rajiv Ranjan ji,
51:30you are not listening to Rajiv Ranjan ji.
51:31You have 30 seconds.
51:33Yes sir,
51:34I will tell you one thing.
51:37Those voters voted for the last time,
51:41or the people voted for the vote,
51:43..
52:10No sir, time is all.
52:12No, sir, it's not time. I'm sorry. This is our fault. We should take a little more time. But Ajay ji, go ahead, sir.
52:19I'm delighted you're mistaking me, Fajay Alok, because it's much more younger. But Preeti...
52:24Ajay Kumar, sorry, sir. My bad.
52:26No, that's okay. That's cool. The issue is, how does Rajiv ji or anybody else know that 35 lakhs is bogus waters?
52:36Election Commission sources. This is the first time where you are not even having any statements.
52:41So this is what worries me. Election Commission behaving and leaking information, asking people to tell stories.
52:48And Rajiv ji is a good friend of mine, but how are you saying these numbers?
52:51No press conference, no official announcement. So this Election Commission, Sanjeev Verma is very upset that we are attacking Election Commission.
52:59Last five seconds. But the fact is that with Election Commission leaks sources, sources, do a press conference.
53:06No, fair point. Do a press conference, put everything on record.
53:09Sanjeev Verma, 30 seconds, ma'am.
53:14You know, Preeti, I need to make a couple of very pertinent points here.
53:19First and foremost, the current Chief Election Commissioner is Gyanesh Kumar, not Rajiv Kumar.
53:25And I think the RGD spokesperson has come on your show without doing basic homework.
53:29And let me say what the Election Commission has found.
53:3135 lakh voters were found to be defunct.
53:3412.5 lakh voters were found dead, but still on the voter rolls in Bihar.
53:3917.5 lakh voters have permanently moved out of Bihar and have been voting elsewhere, but were still found on the electoral rolls in Bihar.
53:475.5 lakh voters were found, whose names are on the voter list of other states, and still continue to be on the electoral rolls in Bihar.
53:55So, my name is Tejasvi Yadav, who's been, you know, whipping up passion, saying,
54:00Election Commission, we will show you the two Gujaratians, we will show you the two Gujaratians.
54:0530 seconds, Kanjana Yadav, time starts now, then I need to go into a break.
54:14Sanju Ji, I was addressing Rajiv Ranjan, his name is also Rajiv, he is the spokesperson of Jadju.
54:27Thank you, thank you so much.
54:29And second most important thing, that one BLO caught red-handed in Gaya while taking bribe.
54:36And that's what's happening at the ground, Preeti Ji.
54:38And that's why we are asking the questions, now where is the transparency, we are showing us like,
54:45it is transparent activity, no, not at all.
54:48Okay, I'm going to leave it at that, because this is going to be debated in times to come,
54:51and especially we will take it up for a larger political debate, but Bihar, I just want to leave it at that.
54:56Shreya Chatterjee is the one who went and investigated over the last 14 days,
55:02and what she found were glaring discrepancies.
55:05Can this process be complete in just three months before elections?
55:10Because disenfranchisement of even one person is a sin,
55:14where the democratic process of this country is concerned.
55:17We leave it for you to decide.