TMC MP Ritabrata Banerjee slams Govt for ignoring fake voter ID issue in Parliament | Watch

Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Banerjee has accused the government of ignoring demands for a discussion on fake and duplicate voter ID cards in Parliament. He stated that multiple notices for a debate have been submitted but remain unaccepted. TMC, along with other opposition parties, has raised concerns over voter ID cards with identical EPIC numbers issued in different states, calling it a serious threat to electoral integrity. Banerjee said, “Free and fair elections are not possible if there are duplicate EPIC cards. It is a threat to democracy.”

The issue was first highlighted by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on February 27, after which TMC MPs, including Banerjee, Sagarika Ghose, Dola Sen, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, and Saket Gokhale, submitted notices under Rule 267 to demand a discussion. TMC also sought a short-duration discussion under Rule 176, but the demand has not been accepted. Sagarika Ghose stated that despite assurances from the Chairman and the government, the discussion has been postponed repeatedly. TMC has presented lists of voter ID cards with identical EPIC numbers from multiple states as evidence.

The Election Commission has acknowledged that the duplication resulted from a manual system used before electoral roll databases were migrated to the ERONET platform. It has assured that the issue will be resolved within three months. However, opposition leaders, including Banerjee, continue to push for a parliamentary debate, stressing that ensuring a clean electoral roll is essential before upcoming elections.