Opposition MPs tear, throw 'SIR' posters in bin as symbolic rejection of exercise

Several MPs of the INDIA bloc parties, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, on Friday held an unusual protest in Parliament House complex against the voter roll revision in Bihar by tearing posters with 'SIR' written on them and putting them in a 'disposal bin'.

The opposition MPs also staged a protest march in Parliament House complex, demanding the rollback of SIR as well as a discussion on the issue in both houses.

Kharge alleged that the Modi government wants to remove the votes of the poor, Dalits, tribals, backward classes, minorities and the deprived, so that it can change the Constitution of India according to the Manusmriti.


"The RSS-BJP has always wanted to deprive the weaker sections of the society of the right to vote, and now by using SIR, it is hell-bent on fulfilling its years-old intention," he claimed in a post in Hindi on X.

It is very unfortunate that a constitutional institution like the Election Commission is supporting the BJP-RSS in this conspiracy of 'vote bandi', Kharge said.

"The whole country has seen how the BLOs of the Election Commission in Bihar are sitting and getting their own people to fill the forms, so that the right to vote can be snatched from the deprived sections of the society. Now the Election Commission will do the same thing across the country," he alleged.

"The BJP hates the Constitution of India and democracy. Everyday it invents new ways to attack the Constitution made by Babasaheb Dr. BR Ambedkar and Pandit (Jawaharlal) Nehru," he said.

Ahead of the start of the day's proceedings, several MPs of the opposition, including those of the Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, TMC, JMM, RJD and Left parties, among others, carried out a protest march with the banner 'SIR- Loktantra Par Vaar'.

Then in front of the Makar Dwar steps, a 'disposal bin' was placed and one by one the opposition leaders, including Kharge and Gandhi, tore the poster with SIR written on it and put it in the bin as a symbolic rejection of the exercise.

The MPs also raised slogans like "Save democracy" and "Stop vote-bandi".

In a post in Hindi on X along with pictures from the protest, Priyanka Gandhi said, "There is talk of implementing SIR (Special Intensive Revision) across the country. Our Constitution makers have given the right to vote to every Indian. Taking away the right to vote from the poor people is like destroying democracy. This is not acceptable."

The opposition MP also staged their protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament premises and raised slogans against SIR.

The opposition has been protesting in both houses of Parliament against SIR, alleging the EC's exercise was aimed at disenfranchising voters in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections.