New Delhi: Congress MP Manickam Tagore has credited former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for the Aadhaar platform after US President Donald Trump referenced India's voter ID system in his executive order reforming the US election process.
"We all know that when Aadhaar card was introduced by Dr Manmohan Singh's government, PM Modi criticised the Aadhaar platform. He raised many questions about the platform. In 2013 also, when he was speaking in public meetings, he criticised the Aadhaar - but the Aadhaar was the base for all these things," Manickam Tagore said.
He further praised Singh's "visionary leadership" and added, "US President Donald Trump's praise for Aadhaar is the praise for the visionary leadership of Dr Manmohan Singh."
Trump signed the executive order on Tuesday, stating that it would "enforce basic and necessary election protections" similar to those adopted by developed and developing nations. The order notes that India and Brazil have integrated voter identification with biometric databases to improve accuracy, while the US primarily relies on self-attestation of citizenship. It also highlights election security measures in Germany and Canada, where paper ballots are counted publicly to minimise disputes, contrasting with the US system, which involves varied voting methods that can create chain-of-custody issues.
Further comparisons are drawn to Denmark and Sweden, where mail-in voting is restricted to those unable to vote in person, and late-arriving ballots are rejected regardless of postmark. In contrast, many US states allow widespread mail-in voting, some accepting ballots without postmarks or even those arriving well after Election Day. According to the order, this lack of uniformity has raised concerns over election integrity, prompting the new reforms.
To implement these changes, the order directs the Election Assistance Commission to update the national mail voter registration form within 30 days, requiring documentary proof of citizenship such as a passport, REAL ID-compliant identification, or military ID. Additionally, state and local officials must maintain detailed records of these documents. The Secretary of Homeland Security has been tasked with granting free access to federal citizenship verification databases, while the Secretary of State will share relevant database information to help identify ineligible voters.
Federal agencies under the National Voter Registration Act will now be required to verify citizenship before distributing voter registration forms to public assistance enrollees. These measures, according to the order, aim to ensure only eligible citizens participate in federal elections while aligning US election security with global standards.
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