On Thursday, West Bengal Police reportedly halted the broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to first-time voters on National Voters Day throughout the state, according to allegations by BJP’s media cell chief, Amit Malviya. Malviya claimed that despite having all the necessary clearances, the police impeded the screening of PM Modi’s live interaction with first-time voters in North Kolkata. Union Minister Smriti Irani criticized the Mamata Banerjee government for the incident, highlighting the contrast in police response to different situations.
The incident occurred during PM Modi’s virtual interaction with a significant number of young and first-time voters as part of the ‘NaMo Nav Matdata’ Conference organized by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP. National Voters’ Day is celebrated annually on January 25 across the country to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India, established on January 25, 1950. The celebration aims to enhance electoral awareness and encourage citizens to participate in the electoral process.
The Election Commission’s press release explained that National Voters’ Day is dedicated to voters, particularly newly eligible young voters. The day involves felicitating new voters and providing them with their Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) at various functions held nationwide. NVD is celebrated at national, state, district, constituency, and polling booth levels, making it one of the country’s largest celebrations.
In commemoration of the Election Commission’s 75th year of service to the nation on January 25, 2024, a special postage stamp themed “Inclusive Elections” will be released. This release is significant in light of the upcoming 2024 Parliamentary Elections, as mentioned in the press release.
