Panaji: South Goa Member of Parliament and Congress leader Viriato Fernandes has objected to the Election Commission of India (ECI) sending him a notice as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), asking him to appear before them with valid proof to establish his identity.
In a post on his social media page, Fernandes said that he has received a notice from the ECI to appear with documents for proving his identity in order to retain his name in the electoral roll.
This notice is coming against the backdrop of the ECI having subjected every contestant during the last Lok Sabha polls in 2024, including him, to the highest level of scrutiny before clearing names for contesting the elections.
Fernandes said that he has been voting since 1989 after becoming eligible, following the initiative of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to grant voting rights to 18-year-olds.
He said that he has travelled to Goa multiple times from far-off places of military posting during his 26 years of service in the Indian Navy just to cast his vote, whether in Lok Sabha, Assembly, Panchayat, or Zilla Panchayat elections.
He added that if a Member of Parliament can be subjected to such scrutiny, it raises questions about the situation of a common citizen, reinforcing concerns raised by Opposition parties and NGOs/citizens regarding the SIR being carried out by the ECI to delete names of legitimate voters and prevent them from participating in the democratic process of voting.
