The ECI has claimed that the SIR is only meant to verify voters and to identify any 'ineligible voters' ahead of the Assembly elections which are expected to be held later this year in Bihar. However, multiple political parties part of the Opposition, including Congress and Bihar's Rashtriya
"Firstly, the last revision was in 2003. For 22 years, more than four of five Bihar elections have happened. Were all those elections faulty?... Secondly the Special Intensive Revision which was held in 2003, was held one year before the Lok Sabha Elections, two years before the Assembly
Noting that the Election Commission "undermined" the basis of the democratic system in the last six months, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh accused that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the poll body will "destroy" the country's democracy.
INDIA bloc parties, including the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party, the Communist Party of India and others on Wednesday strongly objected to Election Commission's decision to carry out 'Special Intensive Revision' of electoral rolls in Bihar when elections are round th
Yadav further criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and said there is a big gap between his words and actions adding that he never does what he promises, the key difference between him and RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Representatives of 11 political parties met with the Election Commission, including Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with other Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu Vivek Joshi at Nirvachan Sadan.
"India is a country whose very culture embodies the spirit of Sarva Dharma Sambhav (equal respect for all faiths). Indian culture has, by its nature, always been secular. This is the land where everyone has always had the freedom to express and propagate their beliefs," he said.
Yadav said that the ECI has totally become "one-sided" and is favouring the BJP, as he claimed that the poll panel has changed its rule regarding meetings with delegations.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hit out at the opposition Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar, stating that their only motivation is to stay in power while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains inspired by the idea of nation-building.
"Bihar is not inherently backward; it has been kept backward deliberately. RJD and Congress pushed Bihar backward, kept it in darkness, left people unemployed, and created insecurity for women," Rajnath Singh said while addressing the executive meeting.