Banerjee suggested that if this was indeed the case, the Lok Sabha should be dissolved, the SIR should be conducted across the country and general elections should be held.

“Aap chronology samajh lijiye (understand the chronology):” he said, mocking an oft-repeated statement made by prime minister Narendra Modi in the past, and demanded a three-point resolution:

“1. Dissolve the House

“2. Conduct SIR across the country

“3. Go for elections and face the people.”

The INDIA bloc parties have been protesting against the ongoing the SIR exercise in Bihar, calling it ‘vote chori‘ (vote theft), and an exercise that would lead to the disenfranchisement of many.

The opposition parties have been pressing for a debate on the issue in Parliament. They also attempted a march to the EC office on 11 August, Monday, but were stopped midway and detained by the police for several hours.

The Congress on Wednesday announced that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with the INDIA bloc leaders in Bihar, would embark on a ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ across the state from 17 August.

Meanwhile, both RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and the LoP had revelations to offer from the new draft voter lists — one a tale of duplicate voter IDs and the other a mess of living citizens declared ‘deceased’ (or just erased without offer of any cause).

Bihar will face assembly polls later this year.