NEW DELHI: Indian opposition lawmakers staged yet another protest in the Parliament House complex today, marking the 15th consecutive day of agitation against the Election Commission’s voter roll revision in Bihar.
Many of the protesting MPs wore white T-shirts featuring the image of a “124-year-old first-time voter”, Minta Devi, whose name reportedly appeared on the updated voter list.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, DMK’s TR Baalu, NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, as well as other opposition MPs from DMK and Left parties, jointed the protest near Parliament’s Makar Dwar.
They carried placards reading “Stop SIR” [Special Intensive Revision], “Vote Chori”, and banners that declared “Our Vote. Our Right. Our Fight” and **“SIR – Silent Invisible Rigging”. They said that the Election Commission (EC) was facilitating large-scale electoral fraud.
Several MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi, were seen wearing white T-shirts with ‘Minta Devi’ and her photo emblazoned on it and ‘124 Not Out’ written at the back. Congress MP Manickam Tagore said that the Election Commission under Rajeev Kumar and Gyanesh Kumar has become a department of the BJP.
“Minta Devi is a first time voter and she is 124-years-old. The voters list carries her name as first time voter. We are wanting a discussion on such issues. How EC has become a party to the BJP. The voter list is full of such fraud,” he said.
The opposition has been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR, saying 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.
On Monday, the opposition escalated its protest by attempting to march from Parliament House to the Election Commission office. Senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, and Sharad Pawar led the march, wearing white caps marked with a red cross over the words “SIR” and “Vote Chori”.
However, the march was blocked by Delhi Police with barricades set up outside the PTI Building. In a tense standoff, several MPs—including women parliamentarians—climbed barricades and sat on the road in protest. They were later detained and taken to the Parliament Street Police Station before being released
