Are Foreigners Voting a Threat to the Nation’s Unity?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Foreigners voting raises serious concerns for national integrity.
- Citizenship is crucial for voter eligibility.
- The Special Intensive Revision process is being revitalized.
- Political engagement is essential for electoral success.
- Efforts are underway to eliminate bogus voters from the lists.
Bengaluru, Oct 6 (NationPress) If foreigners manage to infiltrate and gain the right to vote as Indian citizens, it poses a significant threat to the unity and integrity of the nation, asserted Om Pathak, the Chairman of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Central Disciplinary Committee during a media briefing in Bengaluru on Monday.
While inaugurating the Booth Level Agents (BLA-1) state-level workshop at the Bharat Scouts and Guides Bhavan, Om Pathak emphasized that the Election Commission has resolved to carry out a Special Intensive Revision of the voter lists nationwide. He noted that this process is already complete in Bihar, with announcements for West Bengal, Assam, and Karnataka expected soon.
He highlighted the necessity of citizenship as a prerequisite for voting.
Until 2004, the Special Intensive Revision was a regular process, which has since been halted, he criticized.
He described the initiative for a new revision as a positive and meaningful step and welcomed it enthusiastically.
Pathak stressed that political parties succeed based on their programs, policies, and engagement with the public, making the purification of the voter list essential. He reminisced about his close ties with Bengaluru during this occasion.
“In Bihar, a new voter list has been released, eliminating names of the deceased and individuals who no longer reside in the area. We are confident that this will significantly reduce the chances of bogus voters in the future,” Om Pathak confidently stated.
Prominent attendees included Karnataka BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, BJP National Secretary Rituraj Sinha, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalawadi Narayanaswamy, Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Legislative Council N. Ravikumar, State General Secretaries Preetham Gowda, P. Rajeev, Nandeesh Reddy, State Vice President N. Mahesh, and other senior party leaders.