What Could Explain More Aadhaar Cards Than the Population in Four Bihar Districts?

New Delhi, July 10 (NationPress) In certain districts of Bihar with a significant Muslim population, the saturation of Aadhaar cards has astonishingly surpassed 100 percent, as highlighted by BJP leader Amit Malviya on Thursday. This raises serious concerns regarding potential malpractices associated with the 12-digit identification number that acts as a vital proof of identity and residence in India.

On the social media platform X, Malviya stated, “Something doesn’t add up,” in support of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) recent decision to prohibit the use of Aadhaar as proof of birth and residence for nearly eight crore voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the elections.

Malviya pointed to the alleged discrepancy between the total population and the Aadhaar cards distributed in these Muslim-majority districts. He noted that the Aadhaar saturation figures are remarkably high: “126 percent in Kishanganj, 123 percent in Katihar, 123 percent in Araria, and 121 percent in Purnia.”

While Bihar’s overall Aadhaar saturation is reported at 94 percent, the figures from these districts raise eyebrows. The Muslim demographics in these areas are as follows: Kishanganj (68 percent), Katihar (44 percent), Araria (43 percent), and Purnia (38 percent).

Malviya questioned, “Who are these additional Aadhaar cards issued for, and why?” suggesting the possibility of fraudulent or illegitimate Aadhaar holders in the state.

In his role as co-incharge of West Bengal for the party, Malviya also expressed concerns about similar Aadhaar-related issues in the neighboring Trinamool Congress-controlled state. “Just imagine the situation in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee must be feeling the pressure,” he stated.

“Who are these extra Aadhaar cards being issued to — and why? This could also shed light on why the opposition and leftist factions are so keen to promote Aadhaar as proof of citizenship!” Malviya remarked, stopping short of directly accusing the eastern states of harboring illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

The ongoing SIR in Bihar, which is gearing up for elections, has sparked considerable political tension, with opposition parties alleging irregularities — a claim the ECI has firmly denied, assuring the smooth completion of the process involving nearly 7.90 crore voters.

Launched on June 24, the SIR seeks to add eligible voters to the roll while eliminating ineligible ones. The last similar initiative in Bihar was conducted in 2003.

According to the ECI, submitting at least one document from a list of 11 is mandatory for verification purposes. Notably, Aadhaar is excluded from this list.

The nearly eight crore voters in Bihar are preparing to elect a new 243-member Assembly in the upcoming election scheduled for October-November.