Last update:November 20, 2024, 12:04 p.m. IST

To prevent fraud, only election officials or presiding officers can verify the identity of voters by checking ID cards, as required by Electoral Commission rules during voting.

The Samajwadi Party has formally petitioned the Election Commission regarding the treatment of Muslim women in elections. (Representative/PTI File)

Voting is taking place for nine Assembly seats in the Uttar Pradesh by-election on November 20. However, controversy erupted over burqas, hijabs, niqabs and ghunghats ahead of the vote. Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and the BJP have clashed over this issue.

The Samajwadi Party demanded that Muslim women not be forced to remove their burqas for checks, while the BJP’s Giriraj Singh said every voter must be identified. The matter is now before the Electoral Commission.

Voting is underway in nine Assembly constituencies across the state since 7 am.

The Samajwadi Party has formally petitioned the Election Commission regarding the treatment of Muslim women in elections. The party’s letter insists that requiring Muslim women to remove their burqas to verify their identity is unacceptable. They argued that if a woman chooses to vote while wearing a burqa, police personnel should not have the power to remove it for inspection. Furthermore, the Samajwadi Party argued that the police should not be allowed to examine voters’ ID cards during the voting process.

This situation has raised several important questions, such as who has the authority to verify voters’ ID cards, whether the police can legally remove a woman’s burqa for this purpose, and what the Commission’s specific regulations are. election on this subject.

What do the Electoral Commission regulations say?

According to the rule of the Election Commission, verification of each voter is necessary before voting. To avoid fraudulent votes, each voter is only allowed to vote after their identity is confirmed. The electoral official appointed by the Electoral Commission ensures identity by examining the voter’s identity card. The Election Commission rule states that only the election official or presiding officer can verify a voter’s identity card. However, in case of suspicious circumstances, the police or security personnel can also check the voter’s ID card.

Can election officials verify voter ID?

Electoral agents representing the different political parties stationed in the voting booth are not authorized to check voters’ identity cards. However, if in doubt, they can ask a question or ask the election official to check the voter’s ID card. The primary role of election officials is to deter fraudulent election practices and raise any concerns.

Similarly, police or security personnel are also prohibited from checking voters’ ID cards. Their power is limited to carrying out security checks only in cases of suspicion.

Clarification from the Electoral Commission

The Election Commission has issued clear guidelines to remove any ambiguity on the issue. Officials of the UP Election Commission have explicitly stated that the responsibility of police and security personnel is limited only to maintaining security and peace. They are not allowed to check voters’ ID cards.

Restrictions on police verification

Police officers are strictly prohibited from checking voter cards. Furthermore, they are not allowed to ask a woman to remove her burqa in order to match her face with her voter registration card. The Electoral Commission guidelines clearly state that only the polling officer has the authority to verify the identity card of any voter. This authority extends only to polling personnel and the presiding officer.

Can a female voter be controlled by removing the burqa?

Whether a Muslim woman can be vetted by removing her burqa during voter verification is a sensitive issue. To prevent fraud or in cases of doubt, an election official may ask a woman to reveal her face for identification.

However, this must be done by a woman in charge of the poll, and with the greatest respect for religious sensitivity and confidentiality. It is crucial to emphasize that under no circumstances should police or security personnel attempt to check a woman’s face by removing her burqa.

Previous controversies surrounding the burqa

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a similar situation occurred when Madhavi Lata, BJP candidate from Hyderabad, sparked outrage by asking women voters to remove their burqas to check their identities at a polling booth. The incident led to the filing of an FIR and widespread condemnation.

The Haryana elections also saw controversy over the burqa. Today, Uttar Pradesh faces a similar situation.

In response to a letter from Akhilesh Yadav, the Election Commission assured the public that no police officer is allowed to ask a woman to remove her burqa for facial verification.

The by-elections for nine Uttar Pradesh Assembly seats began on Wednesday morning, with voters forming long queues outside the polling booths. The constituencies holding by-elections are Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Mirapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sheeshmau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Kundarki (Moradabad). ). ). The results of the by-elections will be announced on November 23.

Location :

Uttar Pradesh, India