Patna, July 22 The political temperature in Bihar soared on Tuesday as several Opposition parties staged a dramatic protest wearing black clothes against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The demonstrators accused the Election Commission of India (ECI), along with the Centre and the Bihar government, of conspiring to strip people of their voting rights just months ahead of the crucial assembly elections.
In a fiery rebuttal, the BJP launched a scathing attack on the protestors, branding them as “enemies of democracy” and accusing them of inciting unrest.
“These people are from the Jungle Raj era,” said Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Sinha.
“They are trying to create anarchy. They insult constitutional institutions and demean the very pillars of democracy. Their protest is not about electoral justice -- it's about political opportunism.”
BJP MLA Neeraj Singh Bablu also reacted and said, “The Opposition has no real agenda. They are simply trying to mislead the people of Bihar. But the people won’t be misled. The state government is working for their betterment.”
On the other side of the political divide, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders vehemently opposed the SIR process, alleging it was a calculated move to alter the electoral landscape in the ruling party's favour.
“This Special Intensive Revision has never happened like this before, especially so close to an election,” claimed RJD leaders.
“The Lok Sabha elections were conducted using the existing electoral roll. So why this revision now? It’s because the Mahagathbandhan is poised to win, and they are trying to sabotage that.”
Earlier on Monday, Former Chief Minister and senior RJD leader Rabri Devi was particularly scathing in her criticism. Speaking to IANS, she alleged, “This is not an error -- this is a deliberate political conspiracy. Names are being cut from the voter list just two months before the polls. People don’t even know their names are missing. This is not negligence; this is injustice.”
“The Election Commission could have conducted this revision across multiple states, but they are selectively targeting Bihar. Why only here?” she added.
Meanwhile, in a notable milestone, Bihar became the first state in India where all polling stations now have fewer than 1,200 electors, according to an official ECI statement released Monday.
The ECI also reported that 96.23 per cent of electors have been verified through the SIR process, though 5.56 per cent were found to be missing from their registered addresses.
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