New Delhi: Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc staged a protest in the Parliament House complex on Tuesday against the Election Commission’s voter roll revision in Bihar, many wearing white T-shirts bearing the name and photo of a “124-year-old voter” allegedly found on the state’s electoral list.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, DMK’s T.R. Baalu, NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, along with MPs from the DMK and Left parties, gathered near Parliament’s Makar Dwar. Holding posters and raising slogans, they demanded the rollback of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. This marked the 15th consecutive day of protest.
Banners at the site read, “Our Vote. Our Right. Our Fight” and “SIR – Silent Invisible Rigging.” Priyanka Gandhi and others wore shirts with “Minta Devi” emblazoned on the front, alongside her photo, and “124 Not Out” printed on the back.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore accused the EC, under Rajeev Kumar and Gyanesh Kumar, of acting as a “department of the BJP,” alleging the voters’ list was “full of fraud.” He cited “Minta Devi” as an example, claiming she was listed as a first-time voter despite being 124 years old.
The MPs also carried placards reading “Stop SIR” and “vote chori,” accusing the EC of colluding with the government to “disenfranchise voters” ahead of Bihar’s assembly polls later this year.
The SIR issue has led to a parliamentary deadlock, with frequent adjournments since the Monsoon session began on July 21. Apart from discussions on Operation Sindoor, little business has been conducted.
On Monday, opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Kharge and Sharad Pawar attempted a protest march from Parliament to the EC office. Wearing white caps marked with a red cross over “SIR” and “vote chori,” they were stopped by police barricades outside the PTI Building. Some MPs sat on the road in protest, while women parliamentarians climbed the barricades. The MPs were briefly detained at the Parliament Street Police Station before being released.
