Ravindra Chavan puts three questions to Opposition after Thackeray cousins' march on SIR

Accusations and counter-accusations over the SIR process have intensified in Maharashtra politics. In Mumbai, the Thackeray cousins held a "Virat Garjana Morcha" on SIR and the election process. Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan has since targeted the Opposition.

Chavan shared on social media a video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in which Shah had spoken on the SIR process in Parliament. Citing it, Chavan put some direct questions to the leaders and parties opposing SIR. The move is likely to heat up Maharashtra's political climate further over SIR.

Chavan asked whether infiltrators would decide who becomes the country's Prime Minister and the state's Chief Minister. He also asked whether democracy would be safe if that happened. The review of electoral rolls through SIR is at the centre of political debate at present. The march by the Thackeray cousins also saw a demand to scrap the SIR process. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray have raised questions over the transparency of the election process.

Chavan's second question is on double voting. He asked whether a voter should be allowed to vote in more than one place. The BJP says the accuracy of electoral rolls and the registration of eligible voters are key issues in the SIR process. The Opposition, on the other hand, is objecting to how SIR is being implemented and its impact. This has led to a political clash between the ruling side and the Opposition.

In his third question, Chavan asked whether the names of dead people should remain on the electoral roll. He asked the parties and leaders opposing SIR to clarify their stand on such entries. He raised these questions citing the position Amit Shah placed before Parliament. Chavan said these questions should be answered before objections to SIR are raised.

Chavan made a direct appeal that the leaders and parties opposing SIR should first answer these questions and only then protest. Meanwhile, on October 4, Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray together held the "Virat Garjana Morcha" in Mumbai. The march went from Metro Cinema to the headquarters of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Along with the demand to scrap the SIR process, demands were also raised against the role of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Thus, while the Thackeray cousins question the SIR process, the BJP has put forward the issues of infiltrators on the electoral rolls, double voting and entries of dead people. SIR has sharpened the political blame game in Maharashtra.