This is CAA, not SIR: Digvijaya Singh hits back at PM Modi's "drama" jibe, says Congress has always supported SIR

New Delhi [India], December 1 (ANI): Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "drama" remark against the Opposition, Congress MP Digvijaya Singh on Monday said the Prime Minister should not lecture the Opposition, adding that the Congress had always supported the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
Responding to mediapersons queries, the veteran Congress leader said the current voter verification exercise was different from earlier SIR procedures, which he said did not require citizens to fill out forms.
"Does he wants to give us tips on 'drama'? We have always been in favour of the SIR. This has happened before. Back then, the SIR used to run for 2-4 months, and that SIR was a process for registering every citizen's votes. Voters didn't fill out any forms. The BLO would come and ask, and we'd give them the information. Our vote would be added," he said.
Singh claimed that the present process was linked to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), not the traditional SIR.
"This SIR, requires us to fill out forms and provide proof of whether we're Indian citizens. You've enacted the CAA, get it investigated... This is not SIR, this is CAA. We object to it..." he added.
While speaking to reporters, the Congress MP also admitted that the party needed to strengthen its grassroots organisation.
"Our weakness is that we're not able to do the physical on-the-ground work the Congress Party should do," he said.
Earlier, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee hit back at PM Modi for his 'drama comment' saying that for the opposition to ask for a debate on SIR should not be considered 'drama', and that if the government labels people raising their voices as 'drama', then they need to be ready to be removed from power by the people in the next election.
He said, "What the opposition is asking is a debate on SIR. Is it drama? If raising people's voices is drama, then they will get a response in the next election. Forty people, including BLOs, died. They have blamed ECI. Where is accountability from the government?"In reference to demonetisation, he said, "People stood in queues 10 years back during demonetisation. The black money flow has increased. Where is the accountability?"In reference to the current blasts, he said, " Blasts are happening, and terrorists are entering our country, where is accountability?"
He added, "40 people have died due to unplanned SIR. Where is accountability? Opposition is working within the legal framework to ask questions. Just because they have won a few states doesn't mean that they are not answerable to people. The same people who removed you from power will remove you from power. We are raising questions on Pahalgam, 40 people died due to SIR and BJP, and they think this is a drama?"
He said, "We are not against SIR, but we are against the method and way it is being executed. EC didn't train BLOs; they didn't remove the glitch; the voter roll isn't updated; and when we want a discussion, PM says this is drama."In reference to state funding, he said, "They have blocked 2 lakh crore rupees of Bengal."
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation ahead of the winter session of Parliament, calling on Opposition parties to focus on delivering a productive session for the people.
Taking a jibe at the Opposition, he said they appear "unsettled," due to the recent defeat in the Bihar elections. He called upon them to put aside differences and work to ensure that sound policies and laws are passed in parliament, so as not to repeat the washout of the monsoon session.
"I would request that everyone think about the issues at hand. There is plenty of space for drama; whoever wants to do it can. Yaha drama nahi, delivery honi chahiye (There should be delivery here, no drama). Whoever wants to say slogans, the whole country is there; you have already said it during the defeat of the Bihar elections. But here the emphasis should be on policy, not slogans," PM Modi said ahead of the winter parliament session.
The Parliament is set to have 15 sittings across 19 days. Private Members' Bills are set to be taken for consideration on December 5 and 19, and Private Members' resolutions on December 12.
While the previous monsoon session was considered a "washout" amid repeated sloganeering and protests by the Opposition parties regarding the ongoing SIR, the Opposition parties seek to raise the issue of the recent Delhi blast near the Red Fort, the air quality in the national capital, and foreign policy as well. (ANI)