New Delhi [India], July 22 : Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha on Tuesday questioned the Opposition's protest over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, asking them to show him one genuine voter who was denied to be enrolled in the voter list after submitting the documents.
Speaking with ANI, Sanjay Kumar Jha said, "Where is a 'vote bandi' happening in Bihar? Conducting elections and revising the voter list is the job of the Election Commission...During elections, Rahul Gandhi visits Bihar for a day and leaves. What does he have to do with Bihar?... Show me one genuine voter who went with documents and he was denied."
Additionally, BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy criticised Opposition, saying they have "strong aversion to the Constitution." He also emphasised that through their protest, Congress is trying to "obstruct" SIR in Parliament, despite the Supreme Court's decision to allow the Election Commission of India to conduct SIR.
"Opposition has a strong aversion to the Constitution. Parliament and the Supreme Court are constitutional institutions. They went to the Supreme Court, and when they couldn't stop it there, they are now trying to obstruct it in Parliament. This is against democratic norms. I believe that at this time, all political parties should work hard to ensure that the names of their voters, who have been left out, are registered in the voter list," Rudy told ANI.
Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha faced major disruptions on Tuesday, on the second day of the Monsoon Session, amid Opposition protest over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken by the Election Commission (EC) in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till July 23. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will again meet at 11 am on Wednesday.
On Monday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said that Bihar has become the first state in the country to have all polling stations with fewer than 1,200 electors.
According to the ECI, 96.23 per cent of electors in Bihar have been covered under the SIR so far. However, 5.56 per cent of electors were not found at their registered addresses.
Bihar is scheduled to go to the polls later this year.