'Tughlaqi farman, EC has no practical knowledge': JD(U) MP on Bihar's SIR exercise

The revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was announced by the Election Commission on June 24.

Amid the ongoing row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar ahead of assembly elections, JD(U) MP Giridhari Yadav on Wednesday said the exercise by the Election Commission is a “Tughlaqi farman” (ill-conceived diktat).

"...Election Commission has no practical knowledge. It neither knows the history nor the geography of Bihar. It took 10 days for me to collect all the documents. My son stays in America. How will he do the signatures in just a month? This (SIR) has been imposed on us forcefully. At least 6 months' time should have been given for this... I am giving my personal opinion. It doesn't matter what the party is saying... This is the truth. If I can't say the truth, why have I become an MP?..." he told ANI.

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The revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was announced by the Election Commission on June 24.

Yadav alleged that the SIR has been "imposed on us forcefully,". “They should have given six months of time...Ye Tughlaqi farman hai chunav aayog ka,” he said.

JD(U) MLA Sanjeev Kumar on Wednesday also appealed to the EC to include labourers working outside in the voter list, who cannot show up for verification process . He said that SIR process would do harm if not conducted properly.

"The labourers working outside the state, who cannot show up for verification, would be ousted from the roll. Therefore, the Election Commission should make arrangements to include such individuals. There are no intruders in my constituency," Kumar told ANI.

The JD(U) MLA stated that the SIR process could prove harmful if not conducted properly.

"Due to the ruckus created in the Assembly, a huge issue related to the farmers could not be raised.

The land revenue has stopped for the last 9 years, and farmers are committing suicide. The government should be clear about whether it wants to acquire farmers' land and, if not, make a decision. If not conducted properly, the SIR process will harm us all," Kumar added.

Earlier , Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav raised concerns over the Election Commission's SIR process for voter lists in Bihar, questioning its timing, impartiality, and feasibility, especially for the state's large migrant population.

He criticised the requirement of 11 documents for voter registration, questioning how the poor would manage to produce such paperwork.

"I asked for only four things. The voter list was first published in February, and after the Lok Sabha elections, a revision could have been done. Instead, they are rushing everything now. They are demanding 11 documents, which poor people do not have. Where will poor people get so many documents in just 25 days?" Tejashwi highlighted the challenges faced by economically disadvantaged citizens, underscoring the issues they encounter.

A heated debate erupted in the Bihar Assembly over voter list revision, with Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar engaging in a sharp exchange.

The opposition's protest led to significant disruptions in the Assembly, with lawmakers from both sides engaging in heated exchanges. The Speaker had to intervene multiple times to restore order.