New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar is a “deliberate and diabolical” move to rig elections through large-scale disenfranchisement, with Rahul Gandhi asking whether the poll body has completely become the BJP’s “Election Chori branch”.
Gandhi claimed that the Election Commission had been caught “red-handed” stealing votes in the name of SIR from electoral rolls in Bihar.
The EC has all along maintained that the revision, being held after 22 years, will cleanse the voters’ list of ineligible people, duplicate entries and include those eligible according to law to vote.
Gandhi shared a post by Ajit Anjum, whose YouTube channel is running a series on SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar.
“The Election Commission has been caught red-handed stealing votes in the name of ‘SIR’ in Bihar. Work -- just theft, but name is ‘SIR’ and FIR will be lodged against the one who exposes it!” Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
“Is EC still ‘Election Commission’ or has it completely become BJP’s ‘Election Chori’ branch?” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
Anjum has been accused of spreading communal tensions in the Begusarai district by the local administration.
He had denied the allegation and shared a screenshot of an FIR lodged against him.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that after seeing all that is happening in the name of SIR in Bihar, the people are asking whether “votebandi” is being implemented in the state.
“According to reports published in the media, massive irregularities and fraud are coming to light in the entire process. There is an atmosphere of chaos among the public, and the Election Commission is silent on all questions. In such a situation, it is inevitable to question who the Election Commission is working for and what its purpose is,” she said.
“Let it be remembered that in the past too, the people of the country have foiled every attempt to crush the Constitution and will foil it this time as well,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared an interview with former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa.
“Here is Ashok Lavasa, who was Election Commissioner during 2018-2020, bringing out the reality of the SIR exercise in Bihar. The Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll is a deliberate and diabolical move to rig the elections through large-scale disenfranchisement,” Ramesh said on X.
“A PM who masterminded notebandi has orchestrated this votebandi,” he alleged.
Congress general secretary organisation KC Venugopal said the “revelations” from the SIR exercise completely expose the “BJP-controlled ECI”.