PTI
NEW DELHI: (Aug 11) Opposition MPs, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar, took out a march from Parliament House to the Election Commission headquarters here on Monday to protest against the voter roll revision in Bihar. However, they were stopped by police midway at Transport Bhawan.
As the MPs were stopped by the police from moving forward, several of them sat on the road and raised slogans in protest of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and ‘vote chori’ charges.
They held posters and raised slogans, demanding a rollback of the SIR.
Wearing white caps with a red cross on the words ‘SIR’ and “vote chori”, the protesting MPs raised slogans against the SIR exercise in Bihar while carrying placards and banners.
Before embarking on the protest march at Parliament’s Makar Dwar, they sang the national anthem.
Police had made elaborate arrangements and placed barricades next to the Transport Bhawan on Parliament street to stop the protesting MPs from moving forward,
The police asked the MPs not to proceed further and made an announcement through a loudspeaker, as they were prevented from moving forward to the Election Commission headquarters, a short distance from Parliament House.
Prominent among those who participated in the march were T R Baalu (DMK), Sanjay Raut (SS-UBT), Derek O’Brien (TMC), Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, as well as other MPs from opposition parties like the DMK, the RJD, Left parties.
TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Sushmita Dev and Congress’ Sanjana Jatav and Jothimani climbed the barricades at Transport Bhawan and raised slogans against the EC when they were prevented from moving forward by the police.
A banner in front of the protesting MPs read “SIR+Vote Theft=Murder of Democracy”. Another banner carried by the protesting MPs read “SIR – Loktantra Par Vaar”.
The MPs also carried “SIR par chuppi Kyu” placards along with posters alleging collusion between the EC and the government.
Several MPs also carried posters and placards alleging “vote theft”, a charge made out by Rahul Gandhi but denied by the EC.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh earlier wrote to the Election Commission to allow them to hold a meeting with them and discuss the SIR, among other issues.
Informing the EC about their march, Ramesh in a letter to the EC said, “Thereafter, the MPs wish to collectively meet with the Commission on a host of issues, including but not limited to Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar and proposed to be undertaken in other states as well”.
“We look forward to meeting with the Commission which will be in keeping with the highest tradition of our parliamentary democracy,” he also said.
The opposition has been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR, alleging that the EC’s exercise is aimed at “disenfranchising voters” in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections due later this year. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses.
There has been a logjam in Parliament over the SIR in Bihar and both houses have seen frequent disruptions and insignificant legislative business has taken place ever since the Monsoon session of Parliament began on July 21.
Barring discussions on Operation Sindoor in the two Houses, Parliament has seen little business ever since the Monsoon session began on July 21 due to repeated adjournments, mostly over the SIR issue.
