The inaugural day of the monsoon session in the Bihar Assembly witnessed dramatic scenes as opposition parties erupted in protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Members of the CPI(ML) Liberation, part of the INDIA bloc, arrived dressed in black kurtas to mark their opposition to what they allege is a politically motivated move to delete names from the voter list.
CPI(ML) Legislature Party Leader Mehboob Alam claimed the Election Commission’s directive for SIR aims to unfairly disenfranchise large sections of voters to benefit the ruling NDA ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. “We will oppose this—from the House to the streets (sadan se sadak tak),” Alam declared.
As the session commenced, opposition legislators stood up in protest, chanting slogans against SIR and demanding that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar address the recent rise in violent crimes. AIMIM MLA Akhtarul Iman, whose party is eyeing a spot in the INDIA bloc, stormed into the well of the House, shouting slogans before being sternly reprimanded by Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav.
The uproar continued until proceedings were adjourned for the day following obituary references.
