Opposition MPs Stage ‘Minta Devi 124 Not Out’ Protest in Parliament Over Alleged Bihar Voter Fraud
The protest was aimed at highlighting alleged irregularities in the ECI voter list revision in Bihar, just months ahead of the state’s assembly polls.
NEW DELHI- In a dramatic show of dissent, MPs from the opposition INDIA bloc, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and other senior leaders, staged a protest at the Parliament complex on Tuesday wearing white T-shirts with the name and photograph of “Minta Devi” and the slogan “124 Not Out” printed on the back.
The protest was aimed at highlighting alleged irregularities in the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) voter list revision in Bihar, just months ahead of the state’s assembly polls.
The controversy centers on Minta Devi, a resident of Siwan district, who was listed in the ECI’s draft voter roll as a 124-year-old first-time voter from the Daraundha Assembly constituency. Her recorded birth date of July 15, 1900 would make her older than the world’s oldest verified living person, a fact opposition leaders say proves “mega voter fraud.”
Also Read- Centre Approves Rs 8,146 Crore Tato-II Hydro Project in Arunachal Pradesh
Congress MP Manickam Tagore called the entry “proof of large-scale voter fraud” and accused the ECI, under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, of functioning like “a department of the BJP.” Rahul Gandhi alleged there were “unlimited cases” of such irregularities, while Congress’ Pawan Khera mocked the situation on X, nominating Minta Devi for a “Guinness World Record” for the ECI’s “miracle.”
Holding banners reading “Our Vote. Our Right. Our Fight” and “SIR – Silent Invisible Rigging”, opposition leaders demanded a rollback of the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and a full probe into the alleged irregularities.
Also Read- ITBP’s First-Ever Procurement of Local Organic Produce Marks Historic Day in Lohit
However, speaking to ANI from her village, Minta Devi clarified her actual birth date is July 15, 1990, making her 35 years old, and claimed the error likely happened when she mistakenly wrote “1900” instead of “1990” in her voter form. “Who gave them the right to wear my photo on T-shirts?” she asked, demanding her records be corrected.
According to NDTV, despite the SIR’s stated purpose of cleaning voter rolls, the error was not flagged or fixed. The ECI says the draft roll is still open for corrections until September 1, and over 10,000 forms have already been received for inclusion requests.
Also Read- Arunachal Launches Statewide HIV/AIDS Awareness Drive
The protest has disrupted Parliament’s Monsoon session, with repeated adjournments and heated exchanges. For the INDIA bloc, Minta Devi’s case has now become a rallying cry against what they call “vote chori” and a symbol of the need for greater transparency in India’s electoral system.
