Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Political turmoil continues in Parliament over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar. While opposition parties accuse the government of tampering with the electoral process and manipulating voter identity, the BJP defends the exercise as essential and justified.
Opposition Labels SIR a Threat to Democracy
Opposition MPs have been staging daily protests in the Parliament complex, demanding an immediate discussion on the issue. According to them, the SIR process undermines democratic principles by allegedly targeting specific communities for voter deletion.
BJP Counters With Voter Fraud Allegations
BJP MP Sanjay Kumar Jha rejected the opposition’s allegations, saying, “If opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav has two voter IDs, imagine how many his supporters have. SIR is crucial for maintaining transparency.”
“This Is Not SIR, It’s Intensive Deletion” – Manoj Jha
RJD MP Manoj Jha criticized the process, calling it “undemocratic” and alleging that it lacked transparency, classification, or valid EPIC numbers.
Other Opposition Voices Raise Alarm
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stated, “If the right to vote is being taken away, what remains of democracy?”
Congress MP Rajeev Shukla warned that protests would continue until a debate was held and the Election Commission provided answers.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi asked, “What is the government afraid of? Voting rights are at the heart of our Constitution.”
Congress MP Praniti Shinde accused the BJP of “hiding something” by avoiding discussion.
Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav claimed the country’s democratic framework was being “systematically dismantled.”
DMK MP Kanimozhi said, “We are demanding a debate on SIR. This is a crucial issue for our democracy, and we are being denied the chance.”
What Is the SIR Controversy?
The Election Commission is conducting a Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll in Bihar. The opposition alleges that the process is selectively targeting minority groups and deleting their names from the voter list. However, the BJP and the government argue that the revision aims to update and correct the voter roll to ensure accuracy and eliminate duplicates.
