"Repeatedly asking for documents that are difficult to procure": Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on SIR

New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Thursday alleged that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls being underway in poll-bound Bihar is being done by the Election Commission on the instructions of the BJP and questioned the time limit of the exercise coming ahead of the polls.
She also referred to the recent Supreme Court order observations on the SIR.
"The way SIR has been conducted has raised more questions than reassured the voters of Bihar. Repeatedly asking for documents that are difficult to procure, and many families don't have them. Even the Supreme Court judges have asked to add more documents, which can be used as proof of citizenship, which is again denied by the Election Commission. Questions arise on the time limit given to the entire process, and the number of voters who are likely to be weeded out. We really need to know what happened to all these voters during Lok Sabha elections. Were they misused?...
"The questions being raised by (RJD leader) Tejashwi Yadav are absolutely valid and we totally support the protest against this entire process being carried out by the ECI at the behest of the BJP..."," Chaturvedi alleged.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday warned of boycotting the upcoming Bihar elections if it is not rolled back.
Addressing media personnel, Yadav said, "When everything had been decided from before that the names of lakhs of people would be deleted from the voter's list, and when these same voters voted for PM Modi in the past and decided the fate of the government in the past, then it was all right. We are asking how the sudden need for SIR arose now. It means that the people in power are acknowledging that they came to power through deception earlier, and now the same thing will be repeated. When they have decided to be dishonest, then we (all parties in the Mahagathbandhan) could talk about boycotting the elections. We have this option."
Opposition leaders on Thursday held a protest in front of the Bihar Assembly over the issue of the SIR exercise.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) MPs, for the fourth consecutive day, protested against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being conducted by the Election Commission (EC) in poll bound Bihar.
The MPs gathered at Parliament Makar Dwar, and called for a stop to the exercise. The opposition parties have repeatedly called for a discussion in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha regarding the revision exercise, moving adjournment motions everyday since the start of the monsoon session and alleging that manipulation of voter rolls is taking place under the guise of the SIR.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Mahua Maji, Deputy Opposition leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJ) MP Manoj Jha, among multiple other leaders attended the protest.
Carrying banner which read "SIR-Attack on Democracy," the MPs stood at Makar Dwar, demanding that the voter list revision is halted.
Bihar elections are expected to be held later this year in October or November; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date. (ANI)