New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) The JD(U) on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to its MP Giridhari Yadav for criticising the ongoing revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, saying he has not only caused embarrassment to the party but also lent credibility to the opposition's "baseless and politically motivated" allegations.

JD(U) general secretary Afaque Ahmad Khan has asked the Banka MP to reply within 15 days, failing which disciplinary action will be initiated against him.

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Yadav, however, stuck to his position, saying that as an MP, he has articulated the feedback he received from his constituents.

"I will reply to the show-cause notice. As a people's representative, I cannot go back on what I have said. I have only spoken about the Election Commission and its drive," he told PTI.

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In the notice, Khan said, "Janata Dal (United) views your conduct as a lapse in discipline and not in consonance with the party's stated position on the matter."

The JD(U), a key BJP ally, has strongly defended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state amid the opposition's united protest against the exercise and allegation that it is being done to benefit the ruling alliance.

Yadav broke ranks with the ruling alliance on Wednesday to oppose the SIR, and said it will raise questions on the verdict of the Lok Sabha polls held last year.

He asked if the electoral rolls were correct for the Lok Sabha polls, then how can they be incorrect for the assembly polls to be held in a few months. The Election Commission must give people six months and should hold the drive in summer months, he said.

He also accused the poll body of being ignorant towards the state and its people.

In the notice issued to Yadav, Khan said, "You are well aware that in exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the ECI has ordered a Special Intensive Revision of the Electoral Rolls in Bihar."

He added that opposition parties, "frustrated" by their electoral outcomes, have been running a sustained campaign to discredit the Election Commission, especially on the issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), with the sole objective of creating public doubt over the functioning of a constitutional body.

The JD(U) has consistently supported the ECI and the use of EVMs, both as part of the INDIA bloc and now as part of the National Democratic Alliance, he added.

"In this context, your public comments on such a sensitive matter, especially in an election year, not only cause embarrassment to the party but also inadvertently lend credibility to the baseless and politically motivated allegations made by the opposition," Khan said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)