BJP says LoP Rahul Gandhi opposed SIR as he sided with 'illegal infiltrators'

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following the Supreme Court upholding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, saying he opposed the exercise all through because he stood with "illegal voters".

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the power of the Election Commission to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying the exercise "advances the constitutional imperative of free and fair elections".

In a post on X, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, "Rahul Gandhi and Congress party stands exposed! The Supreme Court declares SIR process legal and constitutional!"


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"It is clear that Rahul Gandhi and Congress opposed (the SIR) all through because they stood with illegal infiltrators, not with Indian voters," Bhandari alleged.

The BJP spokesman also termed the opposition to the exercise an "anti-national act" and asked whether Gandhi would apologise "for defaming Indian democracy".

"This was in true sense an anti-national Act," he wrote.

The Supreme Court was delivering its judgement on a batch of petitions challenging the SIR exercise in Bihar.

The pleas claimed that the Election Commission did not have powers under Article 326 of the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Rules made under it to carry out SIR in a larger form.

On January 29, the top court reserved its verdict on the pleas, including one filed by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

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"The process that may initially appear exclusionary can, through appropriate safeguards, be rendered constitutionally compliant. We are satisfied that the impugned SIR exercise meets requirements of proportionality," a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant said.

It can't be said that the poll panel acted outside statutory powers by exercising SIR, added the bench, which also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi.