Patna: Many people from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar are currently living in Bihar where assembly polls are to take place later this year, NDTV reported citing a survey by Election Commission.
The revelation was made following a door-to-door survey carried out as part of the Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's voter lists.
These residents obtained Indian documents such as Aadhaar, domicile certificates and ration cards, apparently, through illegal channels, sources reportedly said.
The report is likely to flare up Opposition against the revision of voters list taking place a few months ahead of polls.
Block Level Officers, who went from house to house, are reported to have identified many individuals from foreign countries, which will be probed between August 1 and August 30.
In the event of confirming the allegations, their names will be removed from the voter list, according to the sources.
The Special Intensive Revision, started off on June 24, is meant to add to the list all eligible and weed out ineligible voters.
The revision, according to the Election Commission, has become necessary against backdrop of rapid urbanization, migration, young citizens getting eligible to vote, non-reporting deaths, and illegal immigrants getting into the list.
Questioning the revision, the Opposition said the list would not be complete before the polls with the RJD and the Congress accusing the BJP of conspiring to willfully exclude voters.
The BJP asked why the Opposition was getting perturbed at verifying genuine voters and removing fake ones.
Multiple petitions by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, Association for Democratic Reforms, rights body People's Union for Civil Liberties, activist Yogendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and former MLA Mujahid Alam were filed in the Supreme Court.
It is reported that Election Commission argued that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship.
The court, without pausing the revision, pointed out that Aadhaar, ration cards, election identify card issued by Election Commission should be considered as valid documents to ‘re-verify voters’ identities’.
The court however expressed ‘serious doubts’ whether commission could complete the revision in time for polls, without excluding genuine voters alongside providing time to appeal.