'Vote chor, gaddi chhor': Opposition protests against SIR outside Parliament

New Delhi: Several opposition MPs of INDIA bloc parties held a protest in the Parliament House complex on Monday against the Election Commission‘s voter roll revision in Bihar.

Led by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the MPs of INDIA bloc raised “vote chor, gaddi chhor” and “vote chori band karo” slogans.

They also held a big banner that read “Stop vote chori” and held posters demanding “stop SIR”.

Leaders of Congress, TMC, DMK, Left parties and RJD and Samajwadi Party were seen holding posters and banners right outside the Makar Dwar of Parliament.

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Some of the Samajwadi Party members also held copies of the affidavit given by their leader, Akhilesh Yadav, to the EC, accusing the Election Commission of deleting names of voters belonging to backward communities.

“The ECI cannot relinquish its Constitutional duty and evade genuine queries of political parties. The ‘Right to Vote’ is the most important right, given to us by the Constitution of India. INDIA will protest any attempt to stifle Democracy,” Kharge said in a post on X while sharing a video of the opposition protest.

Debate on SIR disallowed in Rajya Sabha

Kharge later also sought to raise the issue of SIRin the Rajya Sabha but was disallowed by the chair.

However, BJD’s Sasmit Patra, who was in the Chair, refused to entertain the senior Congress leader’s plea. “Any matter which is subjudice or is part of the judicial process right now cannot be taken on record, and second, anything that is not part of the listed business will not go on record,” Patra said before giving the floor to the Leader of Opposition.

Earlier, the Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm after the House assembled at 11 am, following protests by Opposition members over the rejection of their 19 adjournment notices on various issues.

“The right to vote has been given to us by the Constitution, and no one has the right to take it away. The ECI is threatening and intimidating us, but we are not ones to be scared by their threats. We will keep fighting for democracy,” Kharge later said in another post.

Votes cast in 2019 were deleted by 2022: Akhilesh

Yadav, meanwhile, alleged that names of voters belonging to several backward groups, including the Maurya, Pal, Bhagel and Rathore communities, were being struck off the rolls to benefit the BJP.

“The truth is their votes are being deleted. The SP raised this issue earlier also, but it is important to understand that this is done deliberately to cut the votes of backward classes, while projecting that these votes are going elsewhere,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

Yadav claimed his party had identified constituencies where they lost by a narrow margin and where voter deletions played a role.

“This is what we could identify in a short time. If we receive the voter lists in the format we want, we can provide more such cases. Votes cast in 2019 were deleted by 2022. There is also a proper procedure for creating a voter ID, but that is being ignored,” he charged, while demanding strict action against erring officials.

Amid speculation that the opposition is mulling an impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Congress leader Naseer Hussain told reporters they would use every democratic method to ensure that the Chief Election Commissioner is a person who is “unbiased”.

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The opposition has been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR, alleging that the EC’s exercise is aimed at “disenfranchising voters” in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections due later this year. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses.

Barring discussions on Operation Sindoor in the two Houses, Parliamenthas seen little business ever since the Monsoon session began on July 21 due to repeated adjournments, mostly over the SIR issue.

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