SIR Is Legitimate Exercise, Opposition Free to Protest Within Rules: BJP Leaders

They defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a legitimate exercise and rejected the Opposition's objections.

Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi said the Opposition was free to meet the President if permission was granted under the prescribed procedure, but argued that the issue on which it wanted to seek an audience was not valid.

“They should meet anyone they want to. It is their constitutional right. Anyone can meet the President as per the procedure and rules if the President grants permission. But the issue on which they want to meet is not an issue at all,” Saraogi told IANS.

He defended the SIR process, saying it was intended to remove names of deceased voters, duplicate entries and people who had permanently moved away, while also referring to the removal of names of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas.

Bihar Minister Dilip Jaiswal similarly defended the exercise, saying electoral rolls should be updated to remove names that no longer correspond to eligible voters.

“It is a straightforward matter. If a voter has died, should their name not be removed? There are only three things. The name of a deceased voter should be removed. If a voter's name appears in two places, it should be removed from one place,” Jaiswal said.

He added that names could also be removed where a person was no longer residing at the address mentioned in the electoral roll.

“That is what SIR is,” Jaiswal said.

Jaiswal also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of being driven by what he described as a desire to regain power.

Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav defended Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying the poll body had carried out its responsibilities and conducted elections without being influenced by any individual or group.

BJP MP Ashok Mittal said Opposition parties were entitled to voice their concerns and stage protests in a democracy, but stressed that such actions should follow established rules.

“In a democracy, everyone has the freedom to express their views and register their protest. But there are rules for that. I would only urge the Leader of the Opposition to conduct the protest according to the rules, express his opposition and put forward his views,” Mittal said.