Tejashwi meets Bihar Assembly Speaker, seeks discussion on SIR in House

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday called on Bihar Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav and requested that the House take up for discussion the controversial special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

The leader of the opposition in the assembly spoke to journalists after meeting the Speaker inside the latter's chamber, on the inaugural day of the monsoon session.

"We requested that the matter be taken up for discussion in the House tomorrow. The assembly is the largest temple of democracy in Bihar... democracy is under attack in the state. An attempt is being made to rob the deprived sections of their right to vote. We will fight it out from the House to the streets (sadan se sadak tak)," Yadav said.

However, senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who spoke to journalists separately, said, "The fears are unfounded. Not a single genuine voter's name will be dropped. All will exercise their franchise in the upcoming assembly polls."  Adopting a belligerent stance, Yadav, a former deputy chief minister himself, said that the Speaker will have to agree to a discussion on the issue.

"Any reluctance on his part or unwillingness from the ruling side will have strong consequences," he said.

Yadav also spoke of a letter he has written to alliance partners outside the state, like Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, seeking their support on the issue of SIR.

"I have written a letter and I hope that the matter will be raised on the national level, too, with Parliament also in session," the INDIA bloc partner said.

Replying to a query, the RJD leader said, "Yes, there are other issues, like the recent spurt in violent crimes, on which we will seek to corner the government."  The monsoon session, which is the last of the current assembly before elections, due in about a couple of months from now, will continue till July 25.