New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Thursday submitted an Adjournment Motion seeking discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar being conducted by the Election Commission of India.

In his notice, Tagore highlighted the exercise as an 'act of mass disenfranchisement' which was nothing short of 'institutional voter cleansing' orchestrated under the Modi Government.

Tagore further in his letter highlighted the SIR exercise as an attack on the legacy of Babasaheb BR Ambedkar, who 'enshrined' universal adult franchise in the Constitution to empower citizens, irrespective of their caste, class or wealth.

'The Election Commission, once an independent pillar of our democracy, is now being misused as a political tool to engineer electoral outcomes. By targeting the most vulnerable--labourers, the landless, slum-dwellers, minorities, and the youth--the Modi Government is denying crores of Indians their basic democratic right to vote.

Tagore further said that the SIR being carried out in Bihar has ramifications at the pan-India level.

This is not just a Bihar issue; it is a national emergency for democracy. If this goes unchecked, similar tactics will be exported to other states in the run-up to elections,' Tagore further mentioned.

'Democracy dies not just when Parliament is silenced, but when the poor are robbed of their vote,' he added.

The Opposition parties staged a protest at Parliament premises on Thursday against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being conducted by the Election Commission (EC). The opposition parties have repeatedly called for a discussion in the Lok Sabha and Rajya regarding the revision exercise, moving adjournment motions everyday since the start of the monsoon session.

The opposition parties have been protesting at the Parliament steps since the start of the session, too, alleging that the revision exercise is being used for voter manipulation and deletion of votes ahead of the assembly elections.

The Parliament session will continue till August 21. (ANI)