‘Wrong to not let Parliament function’: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi slams oppn amid objections to SIR drive in Bihar

NEW DELHI: Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday hit out at the opposition for raising concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, accusing them of not letting the Parliament function.

He said that the voter list revision drive was not happening for the first time.

“SIR is not happening for the first time in the country… This time, technology is being utilised. What are they scared of? There is a three-level scope of appeal, which they can file. But it’s wrong not to let the Parliament function,” Joshi told reporters here.

#WATCH | Delhi: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says, “These people have no faith in the Election Commission, Supreme Court, High Court, and CAG. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister has time and again given clarification. They first demanded a discussion on Operation Sindoor, we… pic.twitter.com/xxsxeUhfGu

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Taking a swipe at the opposition, which has been constantly protesting against the SIR drive in Bihar since the inception of the monsoon session of Parliament, the Union Minister argued that “these people” have no faith in the constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission (EC), the Supreme Court and the High Court.

“These people have no faith in the Election Commission, Supreme Court, High Court, and CAG. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister has time and again given clarification. They first demanded a discussion on Operation Sindoor, and we agreed to it. Prior to that, they wasted one full week. This is what they are doing again,” Joshi said.

However, Congress MP Md Jawaid questioned the decrease of nearly 65 lakh people in the voter list in Bihar and said that those working outside the state might have failed to fill out the forms for the verification process.

“How will there be a decrease of some 65 lakh people in the number of people (voters) in Bihar? Around three crore people of Bihar, especially the poor, work in different states. Some of them might not have been able to fill out the form. You said that the Aadhaar Card will not be considered. This is illogical,” Jawaid told ANI.

“You said that 22 lakh people died. But as per our population, no more than 7 lakh should have died. How can you say that 22 lakh people died? This is an outright vote theft. They are saying illogical things to defend themselves,” he added. (ANI)