M Kharge's Jagdeep Dhankhar Reference To Push For Debate On Bihar Voter List

Quoting former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar that "anything can be discussed in the House", the INDIA bloc, led by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, on Wednesday demanded an urgent debate in Parliament on the Bihar voter roll revision exercise. 

Mr Kharge accused the government of manipulating the electoral system.

"Opposition MPs have been repeatedly asking for an urgent discussion in the House... I am writing to request you to immediately allow a discussion on this issue that is of paramount concern to crores of voters, especially those belonging to the weaker sections of the society," Mr Kharge said in his letter to Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.

The Election Commission released the draft rolls comprising 7.24 electors out of 7.89 existing voters after extensive enumeration exercise known as Special Intensive Revision (SIR). 

About 65 lakh voters have been left out from the the draft electoral roll exercise, knowns as Special Intensive Revision (SIR), published on August 1. This included 22 lakh deceased electors (2.83 per cent), 36 lakh (4.59 per cent) who had permanently shifted or not found and seven lakh (0.89 per cent) who had enrolled at more than one place, the EC data showed.

At a press conference in Vijay Chowk, Mr Kharge criticised the government's motives, stating, "The government is manipulating the electoral system according to its own convenience. In Maharashtra, a huge number of voters were added, while in Bihar, names are being deleted, including those of Dalits, Adivasis, migrants, MGNREGA workers, and minorities. This is a clear attempt to doubt the citizenship of these people."

My letter to the Hon'ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, seeking an urgent discussion on SIR. Sharing excerpts of the same —

“The Special Intensive Review of the electoral rolls is being undertaken by the Election Commission of India first in Bihar and to be taken up in West… pic.twitter.com/YyX5Ruv2C1

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 6, 2025

Mr Kharge cited a 2023 remark by former Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar who had said "the House is authorised to debate anything under the sun and under the planet" to counter the Deputy Chairman's stance against the debate. 

He added, "The government has adopted unconstitutional means to implement SIR and is now denying the Opposition an opportunity to debate."

Congress leader KC Venugopal echoed the sentiment, saying, "If the Election Commission unilaterally takes away voting rights, where can citizens express their sentiments? We will march to the Election Commission office on August 11 to demand answers."

This morning, members of the INDIA bloc held a protest march inside Parliament premises. Holding a banner stating "discussion not deletion," the MPs called for a withdrawal of the SIR and pressed for a dialogue on the matter.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India has defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a necessary, constitutional measure to ensure voter list integrity by removing ineligible entries and including eligible citizens, while addressing opposition concerns through transparency and a claims-and-objections period.