'One rule for VIP voters, one for others?' Congress to Gyanesh Kumar

• Congress alleges Election Commission of India introduced a ‘mark VIP’ feature in the BLO application during ongoing SIR of electoral rolls

• Pawan Khera questions legal basis for classifying ministers, judges, bureaucrats, celebrities and others as VIP electors

• Congress asks ECI to disclose complete protocol for marked electors, including whether they receive exemptions or priority during SIR

The Congress on Friday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of creating a ‘mark VIP’ feature in its booth-level officer (BLO) application during the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the mechanism could create a separate process for influential voters.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and media and publicity department head Pawan Khera alleged that the feature allowed BLOs to identify and mark certain electors as VIPs.

Khera said media reports had revealed that the feature was introduced while the SIR exercise was under way. He referred to records on the Apple App Store which, according to him, described the change as ‘mark VIP elector-related changes’.

"What sort of VIP culture is this?" Khera asked, questioning the ECI’s rationale for distinguishing between VIP and ordinary voters. "PM Modi repeatedly projected himself as the pradhan sevak and claimed that his government had ended VIP culture. Under whose instructions then is the Election Commission operating a system that distinguishes between VIP voters and ordinary voters?"

The Congress leader alleged that election officials had been instructed to identify ministers and their family members, celebrities, judges, advocates, bureaucrats, including IAS and IPS officers, media persons, social workers and other prominent individuals as VIPs.

Khera cited several prominent names whom he said had figured in SIR-related discrepancy lists or received notices in Delhi. These included former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani, former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, election commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, foreign secretary Vikram Misri, CBI director Praveen Sood, former Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi and former Delhi lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung.

He also referred to former Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash and his wife, who he said had received notices during the SIR exercise in Goa.

Khera further said Bharat Ratna awardee and scientist Professor C.N.R. Rao had appeared on an SIR discrepancy list over a mismatch in his name.

The Congress sought to connect the reported emergence of the ‘mark VIP’ feature with the controversy surrounding the SIR exercise, under which several prominent citizens and public figures have figured in discrepancy or notice lists.

"Is it merely a coincidence that after SIR began generating embarrassing headlines involving senior BJP leaders, constitutional functionaries, ministers, former service chiefs and other eminent citizens, a mechanism to specifically 'mark VIP' electors has now surfaced?" Khera asked.

The Congress leader argued that the classification of voters as VIPs would undermine the principle of electoral equality. "Democracy rests on the principle of one person, one vote and one value, and there cannot be one electoral process for the powerful and another for the ordinary citizen," he said. "There cannot be one queue for the common voter and a VIP fast lane for the privileged. There cannot be an SIR for ordinary Indians and a special facilitation mechanism for VIPs."

He demanded that the ECI disclose the legal and statutory basis for identifying electors as VIPs and explain what additional facilities, if any, were available to them. "Can VIP electors be included without submitting enumeration forms? Are their documents collected at home? Are their cases processed first? Are they exempted from appearing at hearing centres?" he asked.

Khera also demanded publication of the "complete protocol for VIP and marked electors".

Turning his attack directly on chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Khera said the CEC should resign and become an approver in relation to what the Congress has alleged are irregularities in the electoral roll revision exercise. "We want to say to Gyanesh Kumar, it's done bro. Heed Rahul Gandhi's advice — resign and turn approver," he said, warning that Kumar could otherwise face trial.

Khera also named Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, saying that the three would not be "spared" for what he described as their "misdeeds".

The Congress alleged that the reported system could not have been introduced without the approval of the BJP-led government and the RSS, and questioned whether the other two election commissioners had been consulted before the alleged decision was taken.

"This unprecedented attack on voter equality, which is against the Constitution of India, could not have taken place without the go-ahead of the BJP-RSS and the Modi government. Was the view of the two election commissioners also taken in passing the order?" Khera asked.

He also sought to know the statutory authority under which the Election Commission could distinguish between VIP and ordinary electors. "What is the statutory authority for distinguishing between VIP and ordinary electors?" he asked.

Khera further alleged that the Congress had evidence of repeated objections by election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to decisions linked to the SIR exercise. The ECI has maintained that decisions relating to SIR have been taken unanimously by all three commissioners.

With PTI inputs