Meghwal: SC validated voter list revision; Congress committed vote theft

• Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' lists, stating it's not new, has been conducted since 1952, and is necessary to clean up electoral rolls due to migration and urbanisation. The Supreme Court has validated SIR.
• Meghwal accused the opposition, particularly the Congress, of blaming EVMs and SIR for their electoral defeats and engaging in "vote chori" since the first Lok Sabha elections, citing instances like B.R. Ambedkar's defeat.
• Regarding the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs), Meghwal stated the government followed a March 2023 Supreme Court ruling to establish a legal framework.
• The government's new law for CEC/EC appointments created a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and a Union Cabinet Minister, clarifying that the Supreme Court's suggestion for a collegium including the CJI was an interim measure.

Why It Matters: This reveals deep political divisions over India's election process and EC appointments.