Tejashwi Yadav accuses EC of 'misusing' its Constitutional status amid protests over SIR in Bihar

Patna (Bihar) [India], August 12 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav slammed the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing it of "misusing" its status as a Constitutional institution.
Yadav, the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister made the remarks amid the protests led by INDIA bloc leaders over the SIR in poll-bound Bihar.
"This is Bihar's misfortune. The names of many voters are being continuously removed, many people do not have documents, and there are many who live outside Bihar but vote in Bihar. This is a conspiracy by the BJP, and the BJP is getting its work done by using the Election Commission as a front... Bihar needed a special package and special state status so that Bihar could progress. But SIR is being implemented. No one is opposing SIR, but its process is being opposed," he told reporters, highlighting his intense opposition to the exercise.
He also referred to his allegations that Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha holds two voter cards
"The Deputy Chief Minister himself has dumped the entire matter on the Election Commission... There is a court hearing on this (SIR) tomorrow. People will present their side, but many times the Election Commission does not even listen to the Supreme Court... The Election Commission is misusing its status as a constitutional institution," he said,
Earlier today, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge joined fellow INDIA bloc members in staging a protest in Parliament over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue.
Several Opposition MPs arrived wearing white T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan '124 Not Out'.
Prominent leaders such as Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), MP Supriya Sule, and DMK MP Kanimozhi were seen holding onions during the protest.
On Monday, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, and other INDIA bloc MPs were detained by the Delhi Police while marching from Parliament to the Election Commission office in protest against alleged irregularities in Bihar. (ANI)