Sonia, Kharge, Rahul, Akhilesh join Oppn leaders in protest against SIR

New Delhi: Several MPs of the INDIA Bloc parties, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, protested in the Parliament House complex on Monday against the Election Commission’s voter roll revision in Bihar, and demanded its rollback.

Ahead of the day’s proceedings in Parliament, top Opposition MPs, including Sonia Gandhi, Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Sagarika Ghose, DMK’s Kanimozhi and A Raja, besides others, raised slogans and protested against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

There was a huge banner in front of them which read ‘SIR- Attack on Democracy’ as they lined up on and near the steps of the Makar Dwar of Parliament and staged a protest for the fifth consecutive day.

With ‘Stop SIR’ placards in hand, several MPs of the Opposition, including those of the Congress, DMK, TMC, Samajwadi Party, RJD and Left parties, participated in the protest and raised slogans.

Later in a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said, “In Parliament, the INDIA Bloc will continue to raise the voice for the rights of the people. Implementing SIR across the country to systematically deprive weaker sections of their voting rights will not be tolerated!

“We will not allow the RSS-BJP’s Manuwadi mentality to dominate democracy and the Constitution.”

Gandhi said he joined INDIA Bloc colleagues in Parliament premises to protest against SIR in Bihar.

“SIR is a dangerous conspiracy to steal votes. It is a direct attack on democracy and the Constitution. We will continue to raise our voice until it is stopped,” Gandhi said in a Facebook post in Hindi.

The Opposition has been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR, alleging the EC’s exercise was aimed at “disenfranchising voters” in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses.

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha was disrupted once again on Monday as Opposition MPs continued to protest over the issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar.

The Upper House was adjourned for the day little after 2 pm on Monday, after being adjourned twice in the pre-lunch sitting.