Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of covertly implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bihar through newly introduced voter registration rules.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Owaisi claimed that the updated requirements—mandating not only an individual’s birth documents but also those of their parents—could potentially disenfranchise thousands of marginalised citizens, particularly Muslims and Dalits in flood-prone regions like Seemanchal.
“These rules are a cruel joke on the poor,” Owaisi wrote, highlighting that only around 75% of births in India are officially registered and that public records often contain significant errors.
The NRC, a citizenship verification exercise, was last carried out in Assam in 2019, resulting in the exclusion of 19 lakh people from the final list and sparking widespread fear, especially among Muslims and Bengali-speaking communities.
Owaisi warned that the stricter voter ID documentation requirements could lead to “mass disenfranchisement” and undermine trust in the electoral process. “This move threatens to erode public faith in democracy,” he said.
While the Election Commission has not officially linked these changes to the NRC, opposition parties including Congress and the RJD have echoed Owaisi’s concerns, urging the ECI to provide clarity and ensure protections for vulnerable voters.
