INDIA Bloc Stages Fierce Protest Over Bihar’s Voter Roll Revision, Kharge Tears SIR Document in Parliament Premises

New Delhi: The political storm over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar escalated sharply on Friday as MPs from the opposition INDIA bloc staged a high-voltage protest in the Parliament premises, accusing the Centre of orchestrating a “targeted disenfranchisement” of marginalized communities.

Leading the charge, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge tore a symbolic copy of the SIR report and threw it into a dustbin in full view of cameras and supporters. Surrounded by a sea of MPs holding placards and shouting slogans like “Vote ka adhikar lootna band karo” and “Tanashahi nahi chalegi”, Kharge declared that the revision exercise was a direct attack on the Indian Constitution and the principles of universal adult suffrage.

“They intend to deprive the poor of their voting rights and let only the elite vote,” Kharge said, addressing the media during the protest. “The Constitution clearly lays down that every Indian above 18 has a right to vote. But this exercise is nothing but voter cleansing — targeting the voiceless while protecting the privileged.”

The protest unfolded dramatically just outside Parliament’s Gate No. 1, where INDIA bloc leaders — including Congress, RJD, DMK, TMC, and Left party MPs — gathered in unity, raising slogans and holding copies of the Constitution and the SIR report.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari minced no words either. “This is a murder of democracy. We will oppose this SIR campaign in every democratic and legal way possible. You cannot conduct a voter verification drive that disproportionately targets the poor, minorities, and migrant workers under the garb of ‘cleaning’ the rolls,” he asserted.

Sources in the Election Commission of India (ECI) say the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar, initiated earlier this year, was aimed at removing duplicate, deceased, or ineligible entries from the electoral rolls. However, opposition leaders allege that the process lacks transparency and has turned into a tool of exclusion — especially in districts with high concentrations of Dalit, Muslim, and tribal voters.

The INDIA bloc has demanded an immediate halt to the SIR process, a parliamentary debate on its legality, and a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the drive’s implementation so far.

“This is not just about Bihar,” said DMK MP Kanimozhi. “If the Centre succeeds here, they will replicate it in other states before the next round of elections. This is why we must resist now.”

While the ruling BJP has dismissed the protest as “alarmist and baseless,” the dramatic scenes from Parliament — especially Kharge’s act of tearing the document — have amplified concerns over the transparency and political neutrality of electoral roll revisions ahead of major elections in 2026.

Opposition leaders plan to take the protest to the people through a state-wide campaign in Bihar next month, calling it a “Yatra to Save the Vote.”