"Snatching people's right to vote": Congress' Gaurav Gogoi slams BJP over SIR in Bihar

New Delhi [India], July 23 (ANI): Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday hit out at the BJP-led NDA government over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar, accusing it of "snatching" people's right to vote.
Terming the electoral roll revision in Bihar as "Vote Chori", Gogoi said that the government does not want a discussion on the issue during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament.
Alleging the revision was an "attack" on democracy, the Congress leader said, "...If we don't protect people's right to vote, then how will democracy stay alive? ...They don't want discussion on this 'vote chori'. BJP is attacking democracy once again and snatching people's right to vote."
Meanwhile, amid continued uproar and protests from the Opposition MPs on the third day of the monsoon session, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been adjourned till July 24. Both Houses will again meet at 11 am on Thursday.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha faced major disruptions on Wednesday amid Opposition protest over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken by the Election Commission (EC) in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, Operation Sindoor, the Pahalgam attack and US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of brokering peace between India and Pakistan.
Earlier, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav raised concerns over the Election Commission's SIR process for voter lists in Bihar, questioning its timing, impartiality, and feasibility, especially for the state's large migrant population.
He criticised the requirement of 11 documents for voter registration, questioning how the poor would manage to produce such paperwork.
"I asked for only four things. The voter list was first published in February, and after the Lok Sabha elections, a revision could have been done. Instead, they are rushing everything now. They are demanding 11 documents, which poor people do not have. Where will poor people get so many documents in just 25 days?" Tejashwi highlighted the challenges faced by economically disadvantaged citizens, underscoring the issues they encounter.
A heated debate erupted in the Bihar Assembly over voter list revision, with Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar engaging in a sharp exchange. (ANI)