Oppn got rap on knuckles from SC JD U on SIR order

Patna, Jul 10 (PTI) The JD(U), headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Thursday claimed that the Supreme Court's observations on a bunch of petitions against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were tantamount to a rap on the knuckles for the opposition.
    JD(U) national spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said that the exercise was receiving "enthusiastic response", and it would be over before the next date of hearing, July 28.
    "Yesterday, opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, in a way tried to put pressure on the Apex Court. They have got a rap on the knuckles," Prasad told PTI video.
    He was responding to the Supreme Court's remark that the Election Commission had the "Constitutional mandate" to undertake the exercise.
    The JD(U) leader alleged that the opposition had been questioning the authority of the Election Commission "even though its powers are defined clearly in the Constitution".
    He added, "In any case, the special intensive revision is receiving an enthusiastic response in the state and may be completed much before the next date of hearing.
    The EC claims to have covered 4.53 crore (57.48 per cent) voters of the state so far.
    The opposition has been alleging that the exercise was a "conspiracy" to deprive a large number of people of voting rights, which would "benefit" the ruling NDA, of which the JD(U) is also a part.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)