NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) over its voter verification drive in Bihar and West Bengal, claiming it resembled a covert attempt to introduce the National Register of Citizens ( NRC ) through the back door.
“The EC is trying to bring the NRC in from the back door,” he said. Drawing a historical comparison, he added, “In 1935 under the Nazis, you were supposed to be given an ancestor pass. Some proof of paper to show that you are an Indian citizen—is this the new version of that Nazi Ancestor Pass?”
O’Brien detailed the ECI’s new procedure which, according to him, mandates excessive documentary proof from voters depending on their birth year. “Those born before July 1987 have to show proof of birth and birthplace. Those born between 1987 and 2004 must submit their own proof along with one parent’s. Anyone born after December 2004 must produce documents for themselves and both parents,” he said, warning that failure to comply could result in removal from the electoral roll. “Unless you submit this in the next one month, your name will be deleted from the list.”
He questioned the timing of the exercise, particularly in Bengal, claiming it coincided with internal BJP surveys predicting poor performance in the state. “We have evidence that the latest BJP internal survey for Bengal shows they would win 46 to 49 seats. In desperation, they are resorting to desperate things,” he said, warning that the ECI “should not turn into the branch office of the BJP.”
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi had earlier echoed O’Brien’s concerns, calling the verification drive a secret NRC operation that could disenfranchise thousands of poor voters in Bihar. “To be enrolled in the voter roll, every citizen will now have to show documents proving when and where they were born, and also when and where their parents were born,” he said in a post on X. “To expect the poorest, especially in flood-prone Seemanchal, to possess their parents’ documents is a cruel joke.”
He also pointed to the 1995 Supreme Court judgement in the Lal Babu Hussein case, which ruled that a registered voter cannot be removed without proper notice and due process. “Citizenship cannot be proven only through a limited set of documents. All types of relevant evidence must be considered,” he said, warning that the ECI’s one-month door-to-door verification plan is unworkable in a state like Bihar, with its large, marginalised population.
“The EC is trying to bring the NRC in from the back door,” he said. Drawing a historical comparison, he added, “In 1935 under the Nazis, you were supposed to be given an ancestor pass. Some proof of paper to show that you are an Indian citizen—is this the new version of that Nazi Ancestor Pass?”
VIDEO | Delhi: TMC MP Derek O'Brien (@derekobrienmp) on special intensive revision of electoral rolls ahead of Bihar election, says, "A sinister move to bring NRC through back door."#NRC
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 28, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/4ZL0EXFdxZ
#WATCH | Delhi: TMC MP Derek O' Brien says, "The EC (Election Commission) is trying to bring the NRC in from the back door. In 1935 under the Nazis, you were supposed to be given an ancestor pass. Some proof of paper to show that you are an Indian citizen is this the new version… https://t.co/NVrWUuYpRM pic.twitter.com/VbWJ3QiKeE
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025
O’Brien detailed the ECI’s new procedure which, according to him, mandates excessive documentary proof from voters depending on their birth year. “Those born before July 1987 have to show proof of birth and birthplace. Those born between 1987 and 2004 must submit their own proof along with one parent’s. Anyone born after December 2004 must produce documents for themselves and both parents,” he said, warning that failure to comply could result in removal from the electoral roll. “Unless you submit this in the next one month, your name will be deleted from the list.”
He questioned the timing of the exercise, particularly in Bengal, claiming it coincided with internal BJP surveys predicting poor performance in the state. “We have evidence that the latest BJP internal survey for Bengal shows they would win 46 to 49 seats. In desperation, they are resorting to desperate things,” he said, warning that the ECI “should not turn into the branch office of the BJP.”
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi had earlier echoed O’Brien’s concerns, calling the verification drive a secret NRC operation that could disenfranchise thousands of poor voters in Bihar. “To be enrolled in the voter roll, every citizen will now have to show documents proving when and where they were born, and also when and where their parents were born,” he said in a post on X. “To expect the poorest, especially in flood-prone Seemanchal, to possess their parents’ documents is a cruel joke.”
He also pointed to the 1995 Supreme Court judgement in the Lal Babu Hussein case, which ruled that a registered voter cannot be removed without proper notice and due process. “Citizenship cannot be proven only through a limited set of documents. All types of relevant evidence must be considered,” he said, warning that the ECI’s one-month door-to-door verification plan is unworkable in a state like Bihar, with its large, marginalised population.
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