Electoral reforms bill, linking Aadhaar to voter ID passed in Lok Sabha amid din

New Delhi, Dec 20: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to link electoral rolls with the Aadhaar ecosystem to weed out duplication, amid opposition protest.

The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill 2021, piloted by Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, was passed by a voice vote after a brief discussion during which some opposition members demanded that it be referred to a parliamentary panel.

"Even after 18 years, the system says that one has to wait a whole year to exercise their voting rights if they couldn't register on Jan 1 (of the year of revision of electoral roll). This bill will allow 4 qualifying dates a year to register as voters," said Rijiju.

"The bill proposes to replace the word "wife" with "spouse" to make the act (Representation of the People Act of 1951) gender-neutral. It'll also expand the limits of the election premises acquisition," he added.

However, opposition parties led by Congress opposed the bill, saying it will infringe the fundamental rights of citizens. They also alleged that the bill will violate the Supreme Court judgement on Aadhaar.

"Aadhaar only meant to be proof of residence, it's not proof of citizenship. If you're in a position asking Aadhaar for voters, all you're getting is a document that reflects residence, not citizenship. You're potentially giving the vote to non-citizens," said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

The bill seeks to allow electoral registration officers to seek the Aadhaar number of people who want to register as voters "for the purpose of establishing the identity".

Rejecting the demand, Rijiju said various proposals which are part of the bill have already been suggested and recommended by the Standing Committee of Law and Personnel. The minister further said that the bill will cleanse the election system.

Lok Sabha was later adjourned for the day amid continuous protest by opposition members.