Chirag Paswan defends SIR ahead of Bihar polls

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 26, Jul 2025, 10:48 am IST | UPDATED: 26, Jul 2025, 10:48 am IST

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) supremo and Union Minister Chirag Paswan has defended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists ahead of the assembly polls in Bihar. Amid an ardent protest by the Opposition over the revision of the voter list, Paswan said the infiltrators cannot be given the right to vote in India, adding that no injustice would be done to legitimate voters in Bihar.

Chirag Paswan said it was not the first occasion when SIR was happening in Bihar and this time too, it was being done in the same manner.

"No injustice will be done to any citizen of the country, but if someone is an infiltrator in the country, they will not be allowed to misuse the greatest right, the right to vote," Chirag told reporters in Patna.

"This process is not happening for the first time in the country; it has happened four times before, and this time it is being conducted in the same manner as it was done the previous four times," he added.

Opposition slams SIR

The Opposition parties have unanimously rebuked the Election Commission’s voter list revision move, alleging that people were being selectively removed from the roll by the poll body at the behest of BJP.

The issue has also fuelled a massive outrage in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, with the Opposition lawmakers seeking a discussion over the move. The Parliament has witnessed frequent adjournments for the last four days since it began on July 21.

"Why was SIR brought? The vote looting happening in Maharashtra is being repeated in Bihar as they know they are losing. Their partner in this is the Election Commission officers," Shatrughan Sinha said while speaking with ANI.

Mahua Moitra said the Election Commission was an autonomous body but it was working as a ‘branch of the BJP’.

99.8% electors covered under SIR so far, says EC

The Election Commission has announced that more than 99.8 per cent of voters in Bihar have been covered under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive. In an official statement, the Commission revealed that around 22 lakh voters were identified as deceased, over 35 lakh had permanently relocated and nearly 7 lakh were found to be registered in more than one location.