Bihar: Oppn leaders protest against SIR outside Vidhan Sabha, prevent entry of State ministers

Patna (Bihar) [India], July 22 (ANI): Opposition parties in Bihar protested against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for allegedly trying to snatch away the voting rights of the people ahead of assembly elections.
The second day of the Bihar state assembly had the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties protesting on the steps of the assembly, holding placards and raising slogans against the alleged "vote theft" in the State ahead of the assembly polls. Reportedly, another door had to be opened to allow the MLAs to enter the assembly without any disruptions. The Opposition party MLAs have stated that they will disrupt the functioning of the house to expose the government.
Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram said that the house cannot be allowed to function when the voting rights of lakhs of people are being compromised.
"The names of lakhs of voters are being cut who will be denied in giving vote in the 2025 election. If the voting rights of the people are being taken away itself, then how do we let the government run the house? That is why, we have decided to not let any of the minister or MLA to enter the house," he said.
However, officials had to open another entrance to the house to allow the members to get in and start the second day of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha session.
Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed also echoed a similar sentiment, saying that the Election Commission's revision exercise shows that there is "no democracy" in the present Janata Dal (United)-led state government, and said that the opposition will not let the house function to expose the government.
"There is a big question on migration, SIR (Special Intensive Revision) and the way votes of unprivileged are being cut, shows that there is no democracy in the present government," Ahmed told reporters in Patna.
AIMIM Bihar chief Akhtarul Iman also joined the protest, saying that the SIR will prove to be the "nail in the coffin" for the Nitish Kumar-led government in the upcoming assembly elections.

"The works of the state government are worth smearing with soot. I protested against SIR along with AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi. Everyone in Bihar is troubled and this law will prove to be the nail in the coffin of the Nitish Kumar government
Multiple Opposition MPs in the Parliament have also submitted notices to move adjournment motions in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue of SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar.
In Lok Sabha, Congress MP Manickam Tagore gave a notice to move an adjournment motion to discuss the SIR and its "threat to democratic rights." In Rajya Sabha, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh gave a notice of motion to discuss the "constitutional and electoral implications" of the SIR.
Congress' Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh has also given Suspension of Business Notice under rule 267 to discuss the concerns arising out of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar ahead of elections.
On Monday, Bihar became the first state in the country to have all polling stations (PS) with less than 1,200 electors, according to an official statement from Election Commission of India (ECI).
According to the ECI, a total of 96.23 per cent of electors have been covered in Bihar SIR so far. 5.56 per cent of electors were not found at their addresses so far. (ANI)