ECI refutes viral claim of dog registered as voter in Bihar
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New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday dismissed as fake a viral social media post claiming that a dog named “Dog Babu” had been issued a residence certificate in Bihar under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, allegedly making it eligible to vote.
The claim, shared by political leaders including Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate and activist Yogendra Yadav, featured an image of a certificate listing the dog’s “parents” as “Kutta Babu” and “Kuttiya Devi.”
The image sparked widespread outrage and ridicule, with questions raised over the voter registration process.
Issuing a clarification under its #ECIFactCheck initiative, the poll panel called the document “incorrect” and said: “Vote of every citizen is important. No voter of Bihar has given such document to the Election Commission.”
The ECI confirmed that no such residence certificate was ever submitted or accepted in any electoral process. Bihar’s Revenue Department, whose stamp appeared on the document, also stated that the certificate was doctored, with the ID number and QR code not matching any official records.
The fake document surfaced amid political tensions, with opposition parties accusing the government of mishandling the voter roll update. Several Congress leaders and AAP members mocked the ECI, suggesting that even animals could now be added as voters under the BJP-led government.
