Who is Minta Devi? Opposition MPs protest wearing T-shirts bearing her name

On Tuesday, the opposition staged a demonstration wearing t-shirts that read 'Minta Devi'. The opposition protested against several issues, including alleged vote rigging (SIR).

Bihar SIR Row: Opposition MPs protested outside Parliament on Tuesday against alleged rigging, vote theft, and the SIR process in the elections. During the protest, opposition MPs wore t-shirts featuring ‘124-year-old Minta Devi’ with ‘124 Not Out’ written on the back. The opposition claimed that 124-year-old Minta Devi is a newly registered voter found on the Bihar voter list.

Who is Minta Devi?

Minta Devi's name is on the voter list in Arjanipur village, Daraunda Assembly constituency, Siwan district. The list shows her age as 124 years, and her name has been added for the first time. Minta Devi's name emerged after the Election Commission completed the Special Summary Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar, following Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's presentation of evidence of alleged manipulation and fraud in the voter lists.

‘Nominating Minta Devi for a Guinness World Record’

Congress leader Pawan Khera posted on X: "We proudly nominate Minta Devi for the Guinness World Record: THE YOUNGEST LOOKING OLDEST HUMAN in India — courtesy the several miracles of @ECISVEEP. #VoteChori pic.twitter.com/WrReu6R98k".

Rahul Gandhi's comments on Minta Devi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi stated that there are countless such cases. "The picture is yet to unfold," he said. Priyanka Gandhi added that many cases involve fake addresses and names of relatives.

Opposition protests against SIR

Opposition MPs, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, protested against the revision of the voter list in Bihar, alleging vote theft. They claimed the Election Commission's exercise aims to disenfranchise voters before the Bihar Assembly elections later this year.

BJP MP's response to the opposition's protest

Commenting on the opposition parties' protest regarding SIR, BJP MP Jagadambika Paul stated that if the opposition had any evidence to support their allegations, they should have presented it to the Election Commission, which had allotted time for discussions with 30 MPs. The lack of evidence, she argued, exposed the opposition's actions as mere attempts to spread misinformation.