Opposition Walkout in Rajya Sabha Over Bihar SIR Issue

The Rajya Sabha witnessed a dramatic walkout by Opposition MPs during the Monsoon Session, as tensions flared over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The protest erupted at 3 pm when Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya moved The National Sports Governance Bill and The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill for consideration. Leader of

Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge attempted to raise concerns about the SIR, alleging it disenfranchises weaker sections, but was interrupted by Leader of the House JP Nadda, who accused him of disrupting proceedings with irrelevant issues. The heated exchange prompted the Opposition to stage a walkout, highlighting a deepening rift over alleged electoral manipulation ahead of Bihar’s 2025 Assembly elections.

Kharge, supported by the INDIA bloc, demanded a discussion on the SIR, claiming it has led to the deletion of “lakhs of votes” from marginalized communities—Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, and the poor—threatening democratic principles. “If we want to keep democracy alive, the Chair should permit a debate,” he urged, criticizing the government for stalling the House.

Posts on X echo this sentiment, with users like @ANI quoting Congress MP Rajeev Shukla saying, “Fake votes are being manufactured, and real votes are being deleted,” reflecting widespread distrust. The Opposition’s protest, marked by white T-shirts with “124 Not Out” slogans, followed a march to the Election Commission on August 11, where leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained for protesting “vote chori” (vote theft).

Nadda countered, accusing the Opposition of a “well-planned strategy” to obstruct Parliament, claiming they wasted 64 hours and 25 minutes of the session. He called Kharge’s remarks a “political statement” unrelated to the agenda and urged the Chair to expunge them, arguing that the Opposition lacks faith in “healthy democracy.”

The BJP has dismissed vote theft allegations as baseless, with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stating that SIR is a routine exercise, not unique to Bihar. The Election Commission, in a press release, insisted it aims to ensure “no eligible elector is left out” and reported that 90.12% of Bihar’s 7.8 crore electors submitted enumeration forms by July 25, though over 36 lakh were “not at their addresses.”

Also Read: Congress Slams EC Over Maharashtra Vote Fraud Claims

The SIR, launched on June 25, 2025, requires all 7.8 crore Bihar voters to submit enumeration forms, with those added post-2003 needing citizenship proof, raising concerns about voter suppression. Opposition leaders, including RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, have threatened to boycott the elections, calling the process “manipulative.” X posts by @Iyervval claim 6.5 million voters were found invalid—3.5 million migrated, 2.2 million deceased, and 700,000 duplicated—underscoring the scale of the issue.

The controversy, amplified by Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of 1,00,250 fake votes in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura, has escalated into a national debate, with the INDIA bloc vowing to continue protests through signature campaigns and public outreach to safeguard electoral integrity.

Also Read: Tripura Congress Slams Centre, EC for Turning Elections into a Farce