Amit Bhelari Apr 09, 2018 00:00 IST
Tejashwi Prasad Yadav with former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi at the Gareeb Mahasammelan in Patna on Sunday. Picture by Manoj Kumar
Patna: Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday demanded that the government link Aadhaar with voter card to curb bogus voting.
He was speaking at the Gareeb Mahasammelan organised by the Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAMS), of which he is the national president, at Gandhi Maidan.
"In democracy everyone has the right to vote but it is also a fact that there are many irregularities in the voters' list," Manjhi said. "Many people have their names in the voters' list at four places. I mean to say that 10 per cent of the voters vote for 25 per cent as they have names at many places, which affect the electoral process and politics as well.
"If all the government documents are linked with Aadhaar why not the voter ID card? It should also be linked with Aadhaar so that one person can vote only once," he declared.
Manjhi claimed that if the Centre does not link Aadhaar with voter card, it means that the government wants to promote irregularities in the electoral process and wants to promote people who are keen to maintain their hegemony in society.
Manjhi also demanded reservation in the judiciary.
"Our former President, the late KR Narayanan, once said that representation of Scheduled Castes in the judiciary is less due to which the Scheduled Castes do not get justice," Manjhi said. "Whenever any judgment comes with regard to the Schedule Castes, it gives a feeling that the community is not represented in the right manner. So it is important that there be reservation in the judiciary."
HAMS leaders present on the dais included Manjhi's son Santosh Kumar Suman, state unit president Brishen Patel, national spokesperson Danish Rizwan, former minister Mahachandra Prasad Singh, and former MLAs Ajit Kumar and Rabindra Rai.
The RJD leaders present were Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, RJD Bihar president Ram Chandra Purbey and former minister Alok Mehta.
Manjhi claimed that RJD chief Lalu Prasad has been framed by the central investigative agencies. He also announced that Tejashwi willbecome the next chief minister.
Manjhi also demanded that the Centre bring a new ordinance for Dalits and include the SC/ST Act in Schedule Nine of the Constitution, and release the findings of the caste census.