Daijiworld Media Network – Sitamarhi

Sitamarhi, Aug 8: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday hit out at the opposition over allegations that the special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar’s voter list is aimed at disenfranchising non-BJP voters, mocking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for “searching for excuses even before the election”.

Addressing an election rally in Bihar’s Sitamarhi, Shah dismissed the allegations as baseless and accused the Congress and its allies of shielding infiltrators. “This SIR issue is not new. Rahul Gandhi loses every election, and now he’s preparing his excuse in advance. Shouldn’t the names of infiltrators be removed before elections? The Constitution doesn’t allow non-Indians to vote,” he asserted.

“Rahul Gandhi roams around carrying the Constitution. He should read it too,” Shah quipped, adding that the opposition was opposing the revision because “infiltrators are their vote bank.”

The BJP leader also launched a scathing attack on the opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by Tejashwi Yadav's RJD, accusing it of having done nothing for Bihar’s development and fostering a culture of hooliganism.

The Election Commission’s decision to conduct a voter list revision in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly polls has sparked a major political row. Opposition parties have accused the EC of acting under BJP pressure to target voters from marginalised communities. They also questioned the exclusion of commonly accepted IDs like Aadhaar and voter cards from the list of valid documents for re-registration.

The Supreme Court is currently hearing the matter and has asked the EC to expand the list of accepted documents and provide sufficient time for filing appeals. The EC, meanwhile, has maintained that the revision is essential to eliminate ineligible voters, including foreign nationals from Nepal and Myanmar. According to the poll panel, around 65 lakh names were removed from the draft list—mostly due to death, migration, or duplication.

However, the opposition has claimed that 75 per cent of deletions were based on recommendations from low-level officials without adequate reasoning. Political strategist Prashant Kishor also condemned the exercise, stating there was “no doubt” that names were being unfairly removed.

The controversy has extended beyond Bihar, with Rahul Gandhi also raising concerns about alleged voter fraud in Karnataka and Maharashtra. At a protest in Bengaluru, Gandhi warned the EC to “think twice before attacking the Constitution,” claiming, “We will catch you one by one.”

The Election Commission has strongly denied the charges and demanded proof from the Congress leader, while BJP’s Amit Malviya accused Gandhi of engaging in “political theatre” to discredit a constitutional institution.