Opposition parties on Tuesday staged a protest near Parliament’s Makar Dwar against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, alleging bias and demanding a parliamentary discussion on the issue.
The protest, led by the INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi, among others, aimed to highlight concerns over voter suppression and potential electoral manipulation.
The opposition parties have been consistently raising their voices against the SIR exercise, claiming it is an attempt to disenfranchise certain sections of voters. “Loktantra par var” (attack on democracy) and “Stop SIR” were some of the slogans raised during the protest.
The opposition has been demanding a discussion in Parliament to address concerns over the SIR exercise. They are seeking a fair review process to ensure that no genuine voter is left out due to the SIR exercise.
The protest comes amid the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, which has witnessed repeated disruptions and adjournments due to the opposition’s demands for a discussion on the SIR exercise. The government, on the other hand, has maintained that the Election Commission’s functioning cannot be debated in Parliament, citing the poll body’s autonomy.