Patna: The NDA looks divided over the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. While LJP (RV) chief Chirag Paswan and BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh defended the process on Wednesday, JD(U) MP from Banka, Girdhari Yadav, said the Election Commission (EC) has no practical knowledge about Bihar and its history and geography and imposed the exercise on the state in rainy season when people are busy in agricultural activities. The Banka MP said the one-month time limit for submitting documents for voter list revision was impractical. July 25 is the deadline to submit the forms along with the supporting documents required.Even JD(U) MLA from Parbatta in Khagaria, Sanjeev, also raised concern and said many poor people of his constituency working outside Bihar were facing problems in filling their enumeration forms with the documents required.The JD(U) MP said it took 10 days for him to arrange the relevant documents and asked what will happen to his son’s voting right as he was in the US. Sharing his experience, he also questioned the time limit of voter list revision and said that at least six months should be given for this process. However, he said it was his personal opinion and he did not care what the party was saying on this issue. “But this is the truth. If I cannot speak the truth, then why have I become an MP,” he said.The Parbatta MLA also questioned the timing of SIR and said a large number of people from Bihar work in other states. “How will they be able to participate in the SIR process in such a short time,” he asked and said it should have started by the time of Holi. The ECI says SIR is necessary to remove the names of those who are either deceased or have migrated to other places, or registered twice. The opposition has been alleged that the process targets the voters from marginalised and poor communities who don’t possess the documents ECI requires as it has excluded Aadhaar and EPIC for voter verification. However, Union minister Chirag accused the opposition of deliberately spreading misinformation about the SIR to suit their political narrative. “It is beyond my understanding what the opposition really wants. Is it not correct that after the parliamentary elections, they complained about the voter list? The same thing they alleged after the Maharashtra elections. Now, the solution is SIR only. It is not the first time SIR is happening,” he said.Giriraj also accused the opposition of politicising a constitutionally mandated process. “They crush the Constitution but take Baba Saheb’s name. They are worried about the Rohingyas, the Bangladeshis. That’s why they are scared,” he alleged.
