"SIR is in accordance with Constitution.. Why is the opposition afraid?" Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan

Patna (Bihar) [India], July 26 (ANI): Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh on Friday supported the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, emphasizing its role in ensuring fair elections. He argued that the process, aimed at removing non-citizens, duplicate voters, and those permanently residing abroad from the voter list, is constitutional and vital for strengthening democracy.
Singh questioned the opposition's resistance, highlighting public support for the initiative.
Speaking to mediapersons, Minister Ranjan said, "Should elections be held with fake voters? The Election Commission's decision is that a special intensive revision will be conducted, under which individuals who are not citizens of this country will not be eligible to vote. The names of those registered as voters in two places will be removed. Why should the names of those permanently residing abroad remain on the voter list here?The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is in accordance with the Constitution. It will strengthen the roots of democracy, and therefore, it is necessary. The country's voters also support this... Why are you (the opposition) afraid?"
Reacting to the same issue, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said questions about the Election Commission and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are raised only when they fear losing polls.
Joshi said similar issues had come up in the past too, including after the Maharashtra elections, and added that the Congress is making up excuses ahead of an imminent defeat.
"SIR has happened before as well. It also started after Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to the Election Commission after the Maharashtra Elections. When they lose, they doubt the EC, EVM... They talked about the constituency of Karnataka. Was everything alright during the 2023 (Karnataka) elections?... In 2024, Siddaramaiah's government was in power, if there's any discrepancy, ask him... They claim to boycott elections (Bihar) because they know they will lose..." Joshi said.
Earlier on Friday, MPs from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) protested against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The protest, which entered its fifth consecutive day, was held at Parliament's Makar Dwar.
Several senior Congress leaders, including the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and party leader Priyanka Gandhi, also participated in the protest. The MPs marched from the Gandhi statue on the Parliament premises ahead of the start of the day's session.
The MPs were seen carrying multiple posters and a big banner which read "SIR- Attack on Democracy."
The INDIA bloc MPs, at the Parliament premises, raised slogans against the Centre, chanting "Modi sarkar down down" and "Stop the attack on democracy." The MPs also tore down the posters in a symbolic gesture of rejecting the Bihar SIR.
Speaking to reporters before the protest, Kharge said, "We are fighting against that only (Special Intensive Revision exercise)." (ANI)