Daijiworld Media Network – Bhopal
Bhopal, Oct 26: Thousands of voter ID cards were found scattered along the banks of the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district, triggering a political controversy, with Congress workers demanding the registration of an FIR and a thorough investigation into the incident.
The voter ID cards were discovered at a ghat in Mandleshwar, around 65 km from the Khargone district headquarters. Most of the cards are reportedly linked to voters in Indore's Rau Assembly constituency. However, the exact number of cards recovered and the circumstances under which they reached the riverbank are yet to be established.
The incident came to light after a video purportedly showing voter ID cards scattered along the riverbank went viral on social media. Following the circulation of the video, police and administrative officials reached the spot, collected the cards and prepared an official record of the recovery.
Maheshwar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Purva Mandloi confirmed the recovery and said a tehsildar had been directed to investigate the matter.
She said the exact number of voter ID cards was yet to be determined and that further details would emerge after the inquiry. Action would be taken against those found responsible, she added.
Mandleshwar police official Shweta Shukla said the cards were spotted on Sunday morning when members of the Niswarth Seva Samiti were engaged in cleaning the Narmada Ghat.
After receiving the information, the SDM immediately dispatched a revenue department team to the spot. The cards were collected after officials documented the recovery, Shukla said.
She added that police had also received a written complaint regarding the incident and that the station house officer had been assigned to investigate the matter. Further action would be taken based on the findings.
The discovery prompted Congress workers to stage a protest outside the Mandleshwar police station. The protesters handed over hundreds of voter ID cards to the Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) and submitted a written application demanding that an FIR be registered.
Khargone District Congress president Ravi Nayak alleged that hundreds or thousands of voter ID cards had been found along the riverbank and in the Narmada river. He claimed that the cards appeared to be associated with voters in Indore.
Questioning how such a large number of voter ID cards could have ended up at the site, Nayak said the incident raised serious concerns and called for an impartial investigation to establish the facts.
However, the allegations of electoral malpractice have not been established, and the administration is investigating the circumstances surrounding the recovery.
Officials are expected to determine the exact number of cards recovered, identify the voters to whom they belong and establish how and when the cards were brought to the riverbank. The investigation will also seek to identify those responsible for their disposal.