The Monsoon Session of the Bihar Assembly began on a stormy note on Monday, with the opposition staging a strong protest over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls alleging that a large number of voters would lose their democratic rights due to the haphazard manner in which the Election Commission is conducting this entire process.
Carrying banners and posters, members of the opposition parties demanded an immediate discussion on the issue. Accusing the government of conspiring to tamper with the voter list, the opposition disrupted proceedings, leading to the adjournment of the House till Tuesday.
Following the adjournment, a crucial meeting of INDIA Alliance MLAs was held within the Assembly premises. The meeting, chaired by Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, focused on chalking out a strategy for the rest of the session.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Tejashwi Yadav said that the matter of voter list manipulation must be addressed in the Assembly.
He said, “We have informed the Speaker that the deletion of names from the voter list is a serious issue and must be discussed. If the government tries to suppress this, it will face political and democratic consequences.”
The RJD leader has also written letters to 35 prominent opposition leaders across the country seeking their support in his struggle against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar, which may lead to large-scale disenfranchisement.
Other constituents of the opposition NDIA Alliance have also questioned the timing of the voter list revision and alleged that the Election Commission is carrying out the exercise in a haphazard and high-handed manner. They have not been transparent.