The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday took on the opposition INDIA bloc over a spelling error in their protest banner displayed on Parliament premises, saying those who cannot even write “loktantra” correctly are now out to give lessons on democracy.
The protest was led by several MPs of the opposition INDIA bloc, including Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who gathered in the Parliament House complex to oppose the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by the Election Commission (EC) in poll-bound Bihar.
A large banner reading “SIR – loktantar par vaar” (attack on democracy) was displayed in front of them as they lined up on the steps of Parliament’s Makar Dwar, raising slogans such as “Save democracy” and “Stop vote-bandi” during the protest.
Taking a jibe at the opposition over a spelling error on a protest banner, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya mocked the INDIA bloc for misspelling the Hindi word for democracy. Sharing his criticism on X, Malviya wrote in Hindi, “It’s loktantra, not loktantar.”
The BJP also posted a picture of the protest and took a swipe at the opposition, stating, “Those who do not know how to write ‘loktantra’ have come out to give lessons on democracy.”
Joining the attack, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla targeted the Congress party, accusing it of being more aligned with dynastic politics and authoritarianism.
“Can’t blame Congress. They can neither spell nor save ‘loktantra’. They believe in Parivar Tantra and Emergency! Surely, they can spell and save that,” he wrote on X.
The INDIA bloc of opposition parties has been staging protests in both Houses of Parliament against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), alleging that the exercise, initiated by the Election Commission, is intended to disenfranchise voters in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
