New Delhi: Amid questions being raised against the Election Commission of India’s (ECI’s) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar, the poll body on Thursday (July 24) addressed the criticism in a WhatsApp message sent to select journalists.The Election Commission said in the message that the Constitution is the “mother of Indian democracy’ and posed a series of questions in which it asked whether it should be afraid of criticism and allow votes to be cast in the name of those who have deceased, migrated or are registered in two places. The message was not available as a press release on the Election Commission of India’s website, where the poll body lists its daily releases on the progress of the SIR in Bihar.In a separate WhatsApp message, also sent to select journalists, the Election Commission responded to leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s allegation outside parliament that the Congress has “concrete 100% proof of the Election Commission allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka” which will be brought out before the public. In its response the poll body said in the message that it is “wondering as to why such baseless and threatening allegations are being made against the CEC (chief election commissioner) and that too now?”The poll body’s defence of the SIR comes as its daily press releases show a sharp rise in voters who have been excluded due to death, migration or being registered in more than one place. Its press release – also available on its website – on July 24 said that forms of 91.32% or 7.21 crore electors have been collected, while 1 lakh electors remain untraceable.The commission also said that 60.1 lakh electors have been found to be deceased, migrated or registered at more than one place.‘Should the Election Commission allow dead voters to vote?’In the message provided to select journalists, the Election Commission sought to respond to growing criticism of its SIR exercise. It said that the “Indian Constitution is the mother of Indian democracy.”“Should the Election Commission be afraid and be misled by these people and allow fake votes to be cast in the name of deceased voters, migrated voters or those voters who have registered in two places, and allow fake voters or foreign voters, by going against the Constitution, in the exercise that it is doing first in Bihar and then in the entire country? Isn’t the authentic voter list being prepared by the Election Commission in an efficient way, not the edifice of an impartial election and a strong democracy?” the release in the form of the mesage said.“At some point these questions will have to be thought of by all of us, along with every citizen of India, by rising above political ideologies. And perhaps the most appropriate time to think of this, for all of you, has now arrived in India,” it added.While the WhatsApp message did not attribute the statement to either the Election Commission or the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, it was subsequently carried in both the forms by several media outlets.However, the message was not made available as a press release on the Election Commission’s website. The Wire reached out to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) officials of the Election Commission to ask whether it can be carried as an authentic statement by the poll body. This report will be updated when a response is received.ECI Spokesperson responds to Rahul Gandhi’s allegationsOn Thursday, speaking to reporters outside parliament, Gandhi said the Congress has “concrete 100% proof of the Election Commission allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka” in which “thousands of new voters” were added who were above 18.“And I want to send a message to the Election Commission, if you think you are going to get away with this, if you think your officers will get away with this you are mistaken. We are going to come for you,” he said.The Election Commission of India on X posted Rahul Gandhi’s statement that he had posted as a tweet and called it “misleading”. The poll body referred to the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka’s statement earlier in the day in which it was stated that electoral rolls are shared with all recognised political parties.Between draft and publication of rolls before the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the copies of all 224 assembly constituencies were provided. “Between draft and final publication of rolls 9,17,928 claims & objections were received for consideration,” the CEO Karnataka said.“As per law, appeals can be filed against wrongful additions or deletions in the electoral rolls. No appeals were received.”A separate WhatsApp message attributed to a ECI spokesperson, titled “Unwarranted Threatening statements made by Shri Rahul Gandhi against CEC on Karnataka Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Facts which all citizens of India need to know” was made available to select journalists. This message like the earlier one responding to criticism to the Bihar SIR also posed a question: “ECI is wondering as to why such baseless and threatening allegations are being made against CEC and that too now?”“1.As far as Electoral Rolls of Karnataka Lok Sabha 2024 are concerned, Not a single appeal was filed with DM/ CEO of Karnataka a valid legal remedy available to INC under Section 24 of RP Act 1950; and2.As far as conduct of Lok Sabha elections 2024 are concerned, out of 10 Election Petitions, Not a single Election Petition was filed by any losing INC candidate as a legal remedy available to INC under Section 80 of RP Act 1951,” the statement said and added the CEO Karnataka’s earlier statement.3.ECI is wondering as to why such baseless and threatening allegations are being made against CEC and that too now ?” the full message read.While this too was not published as an official press release on the Election Commission’s website, the Chief Electoral Officer, Telangana posted it on X.During the ongoing Bihar SIR, the Election Commission had earlier said through “sources” to some media outlets that an unspecified number of illegal immigrants from Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh were found.Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav had then said that the Election Commission “instead of coming forward itself, is getting news planted through sources so that it can play its game under this cover. These are the same sources that had captured Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi during Operation Sindoor.”“Therefore, we consider such sources as urine. Urine, meaning a waste substance that spreads a foul odor,” he said.‘Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries’In June, the Election Commission had responded to Gandhi’s allegation over manipulation of electoral rolls in Maharashtra assembly polls through op-ed in newspapers. However, the poll body’s response was through an unsigned and undated note in the form of a clarification.“You are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions,” Gandhi had subsequently responded to the Election Commission.Since the Election Commission started its contentious exercise on June 24, it has not yet addressed any press conferences announcing its commencement or directly responded to any criticisms of the exercise apart from an affidavit in the Supreme Court which is hearing petitions challenging the exercise.In its affidavit to the apex court, the poll body has said that it has the authority to seek proof of citizenship and also turned down its suggestion that Aadhaar, voter identity and ration cards be considered as valid documents for voter verification in the exercise.Read The Wire’s full coverage of the Bihar SIR here.