BJP seeks strict verification for voters wearing burqa

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 23

Two days before the polling day in the Capital, the Delhi BJP called for stringent verification measures for women voters wearing burqas or face masks.

A party delegation met the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi today to submit a memorandum detailing its demands. The CEO assured the delegation that the best legal measures would be taken to address the issue and prevent any kind of fake voting.

The delegation, which included MLAs Ajay Mahawar and Mohan Singh Bisht, state secretary Kishan Sharma and lawyer Neeraj Gupta, emphasised the need for thorough identity checks of burqa-clad voters. “Those who come to vote wearing burqas or face masks should be allowed to vote only after thorough investigation,” the memorandum stated. The party suggested that female officers or police should conduct the verification.

Mahawar stressed the importance of preventing fraudulent voting. “There should be no fake voting of any kind from the neighbouring states along with Delhi,” he said.

In their memorandum, Mahawar further said, “In accordance with the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) rules, we request that you deploy adequate female polling officers and female security personnel at every polling booth to verify and cross-check the identities of burqa-clad voters. This step is being requested to prevent anti-social and anti-democratic elements from rigging the votes by hiding their identities.”

The memorandum highlighted that burqa-clad voters often turn up in large numbers on polling day, making it crucial to verify their identities through appropriate government-mandated IDs to prevent bogus voting and misuse of genuine votes. The document also referenced the ECI’s handbook for presiding officers, which details the steps to be followed by a presiding officer to verify an elector’s identity, including specific measures for burqa-clad voters.

The party’s appeal is particularly significant in constituencies with high number of burqa-clad women voters.

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