Ranchi : The Election Commission has removed the names from the list and issued instructions to investigate the matter thoroughly.
The BJP has targeted the Jharkhand government over the issue.
The names of three Afghan nationals have been found on the electoral
rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in
Jharkhand, triggering a controversy and attacks from the opposition.
Officials said the names of the three Afghanistani men - Asil Khan,
Mohammad Aslam, and Mohammad Ibrahim - were found on the electoral
roll for polling station number 286 in the Jamshedpur East Assembly
constituency. Their names appeared under serial numbers 30, 31, and
33.
The Election Commission has removed the names from the list and issued
instructions to investigate the matter thoroughly and take legal
action against those responsible.
Jharkhand's Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar
said the inclusion of foreigners in the voter list is a serious
matter. Kumar added that an investigation has been initiated and the
focus will be on who assisted the men and through what process their
names were added to the voter list. "Criminal action will be taken
against anyone found involved," he asserted.
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)
of Jamshedpur have been directed to conduct the investigation.
"Investigative agencies are working to determine how the three names
were included in the voter list and whether any individual or network
played a role in the process," said an official.
This incident has raised questions about the procedures adopted for
adding names to the voter list and document verification. The
investigation will also examine whether the three men were the only
foreigners on the electoral rolls.
Targeting the JMM-Congress government in Jharkhand over the issue, BJP
state spokesperson Sandeep Verma said the party has consistently
maintained that attempts are being made to include the names of
Bangladeshi infiltrators in the electoral rolls for the sake of
vote-bank politics. Verma also demanded strict action against those
responsible.
