Bihar polls: Amid protests, EC defends move to verify identity of burqa-clad women during voting

New Delhi: Amid demands by some opposition parties that the Election Commission withdraw its direction to verify identity of burqa-clad women at Bihar's polling stations, the EC on Thursday defended its move saying it is implementing a decision taken as back as 1994 when T N Seshan was heading the poll authority. The Samajwadi Party has demanded withdrawal of EC's decision to check burqa-clad women during voting in Bihar. An EC spokesperson said that in October 1994, the poll body had ordered a dignified method of identifying burqa-clad women electors at polling stations. "...to protect the sensitivity regarding privacy of women voters, separate enclosures for identification of 'purdahnasheen' women should be provided in the polling station with locally available but absolutely inexpensive devices and using local ingenuity, such as use of charpoys or cloth such as bed spreads," the October 21, 1994 order read. In 1994, the EC had issued the order while expressing anguish over low turnout of women voters due to customs and traditions. The EC has said that special arrangements are being made at polling stations in Bihar for "dignified" identification of women voters in burqa or purdah.

In a statement last week, the poll authority said that to encourage participation of 'purdanasheen' (in burqa or purdah) women, "special arrangements" will be made at the polling stations as per its instructions for their "dignified identification" in the presence of lady polling officers or attendants while ensuring their privacy. Addressing a press conference here on October 6 to announce the schedule for Bihar Assembly elections, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said Anganwadi workers will be present at all polling booths in the state to help verify the identity of burqa-clad voters. Responding to a question about 'ghungat' and burqa-clad women, Kumar had said there are clear guidelines of the Election Commission about the verification of identity inside polling booths and they will be strictly followed. "Our Anganwadi workers will be deployed at all polling booths for verifying the identity of burqa-clad women. The guidelines of the commission are very clear about this -- that how identity is verified inside a polling station and they will be strictly followed," he had said. The poll authority recently said up to 90,712 Anganwadi Sevikas will be deployed on poll duty. Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal recently urged the Commission to ensure that faces of women turning up at booths in burqa were tallied with voter cards. The elections for 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, while the counting of votes will take place on November 14.