The Congress party on Saturday strongly criticized the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar, alleging it to be a “deliberate conspiracy” to benefit the BJP ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
At a press conference in New Delhi, Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh raised doubts over the timing, documentation requirements, and the short 25-day deadline of the verification exercise, calling it unrealistic and exclusionary.
“The way Aadhaar cards were made, it seemed to be an important document. Now, we cannot vote by showing the same Aadhaar card. The type of documents asked (by the Election Commission of India), it is possible that I may get ousted from the electoral roll in the SIR,” said Singh.
The Election Commission launched the SIR drive on June 24, citing reasons like urbanisation, migration, rising first-time voters, underreported deaths, and concerns over “foreign illegal immigrants.” The process aims to collect enumeration forms from around 79 million electors by July 25. The draft roll is to be released on August 1, and the final roll on September 30.
Rising Crime in Bihar Also Under Fire
Singh also lashed out at the law and order situation in Bihar, particularly since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rejoined the BJP-led NDA. He claimed that criminal incidents — especially murders, rapes, and attacks on police — have seen a sharp increase.
“There was a time when the whole of Bihar was known as a land of peace, harmony, knowledge, and penance, but today, the bullets of goons are spewing fire here,” he said, citing recent incidents.
Presenting data, Singh claimed:
- 116 murders and 41 rapes reported in Patna this year alone.
- 1,297 attacks on police in just 151 days.
- During 17 years of NDA rule, over 53,000 murders have been recorded.
- 98,169 attempted murders, making Bihar second in the country with a 262% rise.
- More than 2.2 lakh crimes against women during this period — a 336% increase.
He also mentioned the murder of businessman Gopal Khemka near a hotel in Patna on July 4, pointing out that his son had also been murdered in the past — highlighting the deteriorating law and order.
“Murders are happening daily in almost all districts of Bihar, but the government seems unaffected by it. Whenever there is an alliance between Nitish Kumar and BJP in Bihar, crimes like murder and rape increase in the state,” Singh alleged.
Congress Demands Assembly Intervention
Calling the situation alarming, Singh demanded the Governor’s intervention and urged for a two-day special session in the Bihar Assembly to address both the crime surge and the “flawed and suspicious” electoral roll revision.