Congress MP Manish Tewari unleashed a barrage of criticisms against the Election Commission and the central government’s trade stance during an IANS interaction in Chandigarh on February 22. At the core was the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, which Tewari deems unauthorized at state levels.
‘No legal backing exists for state-specific SIR,’ Tewari declared, recalling his parliamentary intervention. He called for definitive rulings on the EC’s mandate. Evidence from affected regions shows biased implementation, with targeted voter deletions undermining electoral integrity. West Bengal’s tussle, culminating in a Supreme Court plea by Mamata Banerjee, stands as a stark warning of institutional distrust.
Venturing into economics, Tewari spotlighted the asymmetry in India-US trade. Trump’s tariff threats contrast sharply with India’s zero-duty concessions on 70 goods. ‘We’re handing them a free pass while paying premium entry fees. Is this equitable?’ he probed, pressing for policy reevaluation.
Bihar Minister Dilip Jaiswal retaliated, pointing to Congress’s leadership vacuum. Veterans invoke Nehru and Indira but reject Rahul Gandhi’s path, which he slammed as unpatriotic. This back-and-forth underscores the high-stakes political narrative shaping public discourse.