Bihar Woman’s Image Used in Political Protest

Minta Devi, a homemaker from Siwan, Bihar, unexpectedly found herself in the spotlight when Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her team wore T-shirts featuring her image. This act was part of the Congress’s “voter chori” campaign, highlighting discrepancies in electoral rolls. Minta Devi’s age was inaccurately recorded as 124 years in the voter list, sparking controversy and raising questions about the Election Commission’s accuracy.

Impact on Minta Devi and Her Family

The sudden attention has been distressing for Minta Devi and her family, who reside in Prabhunath Nagar, Chhapra. The media frenzy has caused significant mental stress for her husband, children, and in-laws. Minta expressed her frustration over being used as a political pawn without her consent. She emphasized her desire for privacy and requested that her voter ID be corrected to reflect her actual date of birth, which is 1990 according to her Aadhaar card.

Priyanka Gandhi’s Role and Public Reaction

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s involvement has been met with mixed reactions. While she claims to support Minta Devi by highlighting errors in the electoral rolls, Minta questions the nature of this support. She expressed confusion over why Priyanka Gandhi chose to publicize her image and personal details without prior consent. Minta firmly stated that she does not know Priyanka Gandhi personally and questioned the necessity of such public exposure.

Election Commission’s Response

In response to the controversy, Election Commission officials defended their Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. They acknowledged that many non-eligible individuals have obtained voter cards due to irregular SIRs since 2004. The Commission is now under pressure to rectify these errors promptly to maintain public trust and ensure accurate electoral records.