"Vote deletion nothing short of treason": Congress MP Randeep Surjewala after oppn stages walkout in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi [India], August 12 (ANI): Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday lashed out at the centre over deletion of 65 lakh votes in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, and compared the vote deletion to treason.

He said that the implication of the Bihar SIR exercise, which involves vote deletions, would lead to the death of the constitution and parliamentary decorum.

Surjewala argued that opposition parties spoke their mind and staged a walkout since there was no hope for discussion, given the government attempts to strangulate democracy, Parliament and the constitution.

Vote deletion is nothing short of treason. A vote deletion would lead to the death of the Constitution. Vote deletion would lead to the death of Parliamentary decorum. So, LoP Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and leaders of all Opposition parties decided that when the government is strangulating democracy, Parliament and the constitution, what discussion can take place? The entire Opposition spoke their mind and walked out, the Congress Rajya Sabha MP told reporters here.

Flagging the issue of vote deletion and similar processes being planned in other states, Surjewala alleged that the right of One Man, One Vote will not remain, and only those approved by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission (EC) will be allowed to vote.

Through SIR in Bihar, 65 lakh votes have been deleted. One estimate also says that the number can rise up to 80-90 lakh votes. The same process is being followed now in Assam, and there is all preparation to do this in Bengal and across the country. So, there wont be the right of One Man, One Vote in the country. Whoever the BJP and the Election Commission want would be able to cast their vote. Otherwise, the poor, Dalits, Tribals, Backwards and minorities and all those who are against BJP will lose their participation. So, what is the meaning of Parliament? Constitution is being strangled, the Congress MP said.

This comes after opposition members staged a walkout over their demand for a discussion on SIR.

Earlier in the day, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh argued that it was the obstinacy of the Narendra Modi government that was responsible for repeated adjournments in both houses of the Parliament.

Opposition parties have been demanding a discussion, and the obstinacy of the Modi Govt has led to both Houses being adjourned and a walkout by the Opposition, Ramesh, Congress general secretary incharge of communications, posted on X.

Holding the stubbornness of the centre responsible for the walkouts by opposition, Ramesh said that the Modi government has constantly refused to hold discussions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

Ramesh claimed that the SIR exercise, which was carried out by the Election Commission merely five months before the Bihar assembly elections, will lead to massive disenfranchisement of voters belonging to the marginalised communities.

Congress chief and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge address in the Rajya Sabha this afternoon, where the latter raised the issue of much-objectioned SIR drive in Bihar.

The chairperson of the upper house expunged his remarks after an appeal from JP Nadda, leader of the House in Rajya Sabha.

The opposition parties have been demanding a discussion on the Bihar voter list revision while raising objections to its implications for the common voters.

Owing to these demands, the Parliament has witnessed constant adjournments, with the government blaming the opposition MPs for disrupting the proceedings. However, the opposition claims otherwise, holding the government responsible for not allowing debates on matters of public importance, such as the SIR drive. (ANI)

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