Opposition MPs continued their protest against SIR for the 15th day in the Parliament premises, following the registration of a 124-year-old woman's name in the Bihar voter list. The opposition has alleged large-scale fraud in the voter list.
SIR Controversy: The opposition's protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being conducted by the Election Commission in Bihar has intensified. On Tuesday, opposition MPs protested against SIR in the Parliament premises. This demonstration marked the 15th day of the opposition's protest campaign. Opposition parties allege that the purpose of SIR is to disenfranchise voters by creating irregularities in the voter list.
Presence of Prominent Leaders in the Protest
The protest near the Makar Dwar of the Parliament was attended by prominent leaders including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi, party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien, DMK's TR Baalu, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction)'s Supriya Sule, and others. MPs from Left parties and other opposition parties were also present in the protest.
White T-shirts and the Case of the 124-year-old Voter
Several MPs were seen wearing white T-shirts with the name Minta Devi, a name listed in the Bihar voter list, printed on them. These T-shirts featured her picture and the slogan "124 Not Out." The opposition claims that Minta Devi's age is recorded as 124 years in the voter list, which is nine years older than the world's oldest verified person. Rahul Gandhi presented this example during his presentation in the Lok Sabha, calling it evidence of alleged voter fraud.
Posters and Sloganeering
The protesters held posters and chanted slogans such as "Our Vote, Our Right, Our Fight" and "SIR – Silent Invisible Rigging." Other posters displayed messages like "Stop SIR" and "Vote Theft." The opposition says that there are many cases in the voter list that point towards fraud.
Allegations by Congress MP Manickam Tagore
Congress MP Manickam Tagore alleged that the Central Election Commission has become a department of the BJP. He said, "Minta Devi has become a voter for the first time and her age is recorded as 124 years. The voter list is filled with such fake data." He questioned why the commission is not taking action on such cases.
Allegation of Conspiracy Before Bihar Elections
Opposition parties allege that the purpose of SIR is to manipulate the voter list before the Bihar Assembly elections to be held later this year. They say that this process could deprive thousands of voters of their right to vote. The opposition is demanding a discussion on this issue in both houses of Parliament, but a deadlock persists.
Monday's High-Voltage Drama
Earlier on Monday, Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, Sharad Pawar, and other opposition MPs had set out to march from the Parliament building to the Election Commission office. However, the police stopped them midway and detained them for a while. The opposition says that this is an attack on democratic rights.
