The Bihar voter list controversy has erupted due to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of crucial state elections. The opaposition, notably the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, has accused the Election Commission of mass removals, especially targeting Muslims and marginalized groups, under the guise of cleaning up voter rolls. Allegations center on incorrect photos, names of deceased still present, and the exclusion of many eligible voters, with some districts showing higher rates of deletion among minority communities. The EC and ruling allies (BJP-JD(U)) deny religious or political motivation, insisting that the revision is meant to remove duplicates, deceased, and non-citizens.
While the EC claims the exercise was “scrupulous” and says 98.3% of voters have already completed verification, local reports and ground accounts contradict this, with complaints about Block Level Officers not visiting certain areas and confusing verification requirements. The Supreme Court has refused to halt the SIR but has raised “serious doubts” about whether it can be finished fairly before the election, recommending the use of widely held IDs like Aadhaar for re-verification
Meanwhile, in Noida, a daycare worker was arrested after a video of her assaulting a toddler went viral. The incident led to public outrage, swift police action, and renewed debate over child safety regulations in daycares—reflecting the gravity and sensitivity of such cases in India.