Sanjay Raut slams Amit Shah and EC over voter roll controversy
Mumbai, Oct 16 (UNI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, MP, launched a scathing attack on union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Election Commission of India on Friday, alleging that constitutional institutions in the country were operating under severe executive pressure.
Addressing the media here, he invoked historical references to target the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) while defending the rights of citizens to hoist the national flag, besides raising grave concerns over the disenfranchisement of voters. Referring to recent police action against activists and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) for displaying the national tricolour, Raut questioned the government's hostility towards the act. "After 1947, the RSS did not hoist the tricolour at its headquarters for nearly 40 to 45 years. For them, hoisting it might have been a crime, but for us, it is a matter of pride and honour. If the CJP hoisted the tricolour, why are Amit Shah and the police so infuriated?" he asked.
Levelling direct charges against the poll panel, the Rajya Sabha member accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of acting as an "agent of the ruling BJP". Raut alleged that 13 crore voters were illegally struck off the rolls across the nation under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. "Deceased individuals are voting on behalf of the BJP, while millions of living voters have been fraudulently declared dead on record. Opposition leaders Aditya Thackeray and Rahul Gandhi have exposed this rampant fraud.
The Chief Minister must realise that manipulating voter lists is not 'purification' and should stop treating the Election Commission like a domestic servant," Raut asserted. On the recent judicial observations, Raut maintained that the Supreme Court remains the primary safeguard for protecting constitutional principles against government overreach. Expressing his complete faith in the judiciary, he offered an unconditional apology to the apex court following statements highlighted by the Supreme Court Bar Association.
"We are knocking on the doors of the Supreme Court because it is the voice of millions of aggrieved citizens. Despite fighting our party name and symbol case for four and a half years and witnessing four Chief Justices transition without a final resolution, we firmly believe justice will prevail," he added. Raut further urged the judiciary to take cognisance of alleged threats directed at the court, claiming that the pressure exerted by union Home Minister Amit Shah was creating widespread chaos across constitutional mechanisms.
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