Indian Opposition stages protest in parliament against Bihar voter roll revision
New Delhi: Several lawmakers from the INDIA bloc parties, including senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex, today, against the Election Commission’s ongoing voter roll revision in Bihar.
According to Kashmir Media Service, opposition MPs assembled near the Makar Dwar of Parliament, holding banners and posters denouncing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. Among the protesting leaders were Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress’s Sagarika Ghose, as well as MPs from the DMK, Left parties, and other opposition groups.
Protesters carried placards reading “Stop SIR,” alleging collusion between the Election Commission and the BJP-led Indian government in an attempt to manipulate the voter list.
This marks the 12th day of protest by opposition members, who have also disrupted proceedings in both Houses of Parliament, demanding a rollback of the SIR exercise. The protesting MPs are demanding an immediate rollback of the SIR exercise, stating that the revision process could lead to the deletion of a large number of voters in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Parliamentary business has largely stalled since the Monsoon Session began on July 21, with repeated adjournments due to the opposition’s demands for a discussion on the issue. Apart from discussions on Operation Sindoor, legislative activity has been minimal.
