Bihar SIR: Opposition leader spoke on Bihar SIR- Citizenship is the real issue, decision to boycott elections has not been taken yet

Posted on 28th Jul 2025 by rohit kumar

Opposition leaders have targeted the central government and the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that citizenship is an important issue. You have given it a political color and tried to hide it, while the real problem is citizenship. The opposition alliance in India has not yet taken any decision regarding boycotting elections in Bihar, but all options are open.

 

Singhvi said that the Election Commission should not show 'institutional arrogance' and should stop the ongoing SIR process in Bihar. In a joint press conference with CPI (ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, RJD MP Manoj Jha, and CPI (M) leader Niloptal Basu in Patna, Singhvi said that this process has now become a kind of 'citizenship test' and questions are being raised on its validity.

 

He requested the Election Commission to withdraw this decision before the assembly elections. He said that this should not be a matter of political stubbornness or institutional arrogance. He requested the Commission to reconsider, as everyone is demanding the same.

 

He asked if an amendment was made in January itself, then why is this process being done in such a hurry just before the elections, after two months? He also said that the statements given by the Commission seem to indicate that this is a kind of citizenship verification campaign, because Aadhar card, voter ID card, and ration card are not being accepted. This means that the Commission is asking for proof of citizenship, whereas the Election Commission does not have this right.

 

Singhvi said that the court will examine the legal aspect of this entire process, but if the Election Commission gives up its ego and stubbornness, then it can still stop this exercise and get it done after the elections. He said that there is no need to link it to the elections.

 

The entire process is far from transparent: Dipankar Bhattacharya.

At the same time, Dipankar Bhattacharya alleged that the Election Commission itself is confirming our apprehensions with its claims. He said that the Commission claims that the names of more than 65 lakh voters will be removed from the list, which is very worrying. He also said that the Commission has falsely claimed that it has informed the political parties about the process. He said that only the data of the forms that are pending have been received by the political parties, and this entire process is far from transparent.

 

No opinion of any political party was taken: Manoj Jha.

 

At the same time, RJD MP Manoj Jha said that when the Chief Election Commissioner (Gyanesh Kumar) took charge, he had said that he would not take any decision without consulting the political parties. I think there has been no bigger decision than this in the last 22 years (talking about Bihar SIR), but no opinion was taken from any political party. CPI(M) leader Niloptal Basu called it an attack on the rights of the poor. He said that our democracy is inclusive of all, and such a process is against the basic spirit of democracy.

 

At the same time, the Election Commission said on Sunday that under this intensive revision campaign, forms of 7.24 crore, i.e., 91.69 percent of voters, have been received in Bihar. The Commission also said that so far, 22 lakh people have died, 36 lakh people have either permanently moved or were not found at home, and the names of seven lakh people have been found registered at more than one place.

 

Why is there a controversy over SIR

 

On June 24, the Election Commission directed SIR in Bihar. It was to be held between June 25 and July 26, 2025. The Election Commission says that the revision is being done to remove fake, ineligible voters registered at two places in the voter list. At the same time, the opposition parties allege that the Election Commission is checking the citizenship of the people through the back door through this special intensive revision. At the same time, the opposition alleges that under its guise, the right to vote can be taken away from the people on a large scale.

 

However, the Election Commission has assured that if a person is removed from the voter list, it will not mean that their citizenship has ended. The Election Commission has also said that under the law and the Constitution, it has the right to ask for documents related to citizenship so that people can get the right to vote.