Lok Sabha Passes Election Laws Amendment Bill 2021 Within 26 Mins- Know More

Election Laws Amendment Bill 2021 was passed in Lok Sabha on Monday (December 20) within 26 minutes of its introduction. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju piloted the bill amid an uproar by the Opposition for passing it undemocratically through a voice vote.

Election Laws Amendment Bill 2021

The Election Laws Amendment Bill 2021 aims to empower the Electoral officers to seek the Aadhar Number of individuals who want to register as voters as their identity proof. The bill also allows the electoral officers to ask for the Aadhar numbers of already registered voters to check the authentication of entries in the electoral roll. As per their claims, this will help weed out the bogus in the electoral roll and identify the dual registration of a person in more than one constituency or in one constituency more than once.

Linking Aadhar to Voter ID Is Voluntary

Speaking on the Bill, Law Minister Rijiju said that linking Aadhar with voter ID is no compulsion but voluntary. The amendment bill makes it clear that "no application for inclusion of name in the electoral roll shall be denied and no entries in the electoral roll shall be deleted for the inability of an individual to furnish or intimate Aadhaar number due to such sufficient cause as may be prescribed". Such people will be allowed to furnish other documents as may be prescribed.

Curbing Menace Of Multiple Enrolment

The Bill further seeks to amend section 23 of Representation of the People Act, 1950 by linking electoral roll data with the Aadhar ecosystem to curb the menace of multiple enrolments of the same person at various places.

Four New Dates To Register As Eligible Voters

Secondly, the amendment to section 14 of the RP Act, 1950 will allow having four qualifying dates 1st day of January, 1st day of April, 1st day of July, and 1st day of October a for eligible people to register as voters, instead of one that is January 1 at present.

Replacing Word 'Wife' with 'Spouse'

Third, an amendment to section 20 of the RP Act, 1950 and section 60 of the RP Act, 1951 aims to make the elections gender-neutral for service voters. The amendment will also replace the word 'wife' with 'spouse' to make the statutes gender-neutral.

Uproar By Opposition

The Bill was tabled by Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in the Lok Sabha at 2:47 pm and was passed through a voice vote at 3:10 pm amidst the incessant objection raised by the opposition MPs questioning the need to pass the Bill in a hurry.

Many opposition parties including the Congress also raised, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Shiv Sena and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) which are not aligned with the government but have supported many of its legislations in the past, questioned the manner in which the bill was passed, stating that it requires "proper discussion" and the bill be referred to the parliamentary panel to which Rijiju responded "bill have already been suggested and recommended by the Standing Committee of Law and Personnel, and the bill is aimed at cleansing the election system" as reported by the Print.

Infringement of privacy

Many Opposition leaders gather in the well of the house to express their displeasure over the Bill for infringing voters' privacy. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said the Center was curtailing the independence of the Election Commission by bringing in the law. He also alleged that the government has no legislative competence. Linking voter Id with AADHAAR violates the fundamental right to privacy.

While another opposition leader NCP MP Supriya Sule, flagged concern over the dubious manner of passing the bill hurridly despites constant objection by the Opposition.

Also Read: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Launches Air Ambulance In Four Districts For Prompt Healthcare Services