Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD leader and Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, has hailed the Supreme Court’s intervention in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list as a victory for the opposition. He stated that the court’s decision validated the opposition’s efforts to challenge the process, which they had contested in the legislature, parliament, and public spaces. The court’s interim order, according to Yadav, represented a triumph of justice. He accused the Election Commission of attempting to conceal information and praised the court for its directive to ensure transparency. The court ruled that the use of Aadhaar cards was mandatory and that the list of 6.5 million deleted names should be displayed on a booth-by-booth basis. The Supreme Court also instructed the commission to explain the reasons for the deletions, including whether the individuals were deceased or could not be traced. Yadav highlighted that the court had also instructed the commission to inform those whose names had been removed through public advertisements. He emphasized that democracy, a cornerstone of Bihar’s identity, would not be allowed to be undermined. He specifically mentioned the efforts made to assist residents of his constituency, Raghopur, who had faced issues with their voter registrations, including sending them to Delhi and to the Supreme Court. He characterized the court’s decision as a win for the people of Bihar, democracy, and the constitution.
He recounted the opposition’s initial steps to address the issue, including a press conference on June 27th to inform the public about the SIR process, the Election Commission’s rushed deadlines, and its alleged hidden agendas. He also mentioned the Bihar bandh on July 9th, which had support from Rahul Gandhi. Yadav expressed his gratitude to numerous opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others, and to Yogendra Yadav and his legal team. He pledged to continue the fight to protect democracy, the constitution, and the integrity of the vote, emphasizing that they would closely monitor the implementation of the court’s decision. He noted that their efforts now extended to digital platforms, leveraging technology. He criticized the Election Commission’s lack of response to accusations of wrongdoing and predicted a significant loss for the NDA in the upcoming elections. He also addressed claims about infiltrators in the voter list, stating that they had not seen any evidence.