New Delhi, August 12, 2025 – A curious entry in Bihar’s voter list sparked political drama in Parliament today, as several Opposition MPs staged a protest wearing T-shirts featuring the name and photo of “Minta Devi,” alongside the slogan “124 Not Out.” The protest was aimed at the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter roll in Bihar, which Opposition leaders claim is riddled with irregularities.

According to the Opposition, Minta Devi was listed in the Bihar voters’ list as a 124-year-old “first-time voter,” a detail they said highlighted flaws in the voter roll update. The MPs gathered at the Makar Dwar inside the Parliament House complex, chanting slogans against alleged “vote chori” (vote theft) and calling for greater transparency in the electoral process.

“BJP’s cowardly dictatorship won’t silence us. We will fight for democracy, the Constitution, and people’s right to vote,” the Congress party wrote on X (formerly Twitter), sharing images of the protest.

Senior leaders including Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and MP Rahul Gandhi joined the demonstration, donning the themed T-shirts. Rahul Gandhi, responding to reporters’ questions, said, “There are unlimited cases like that. Abhi picture baki hai (there is more to come).” Priyanka Gandhi alleged that in many such cases, not only are ages incorrect, but the addresses and names of relatives are also fabricated.

The incident quickly became a flashpoint in the ongoing political battle over the voter list revision, with Opposition leaders demanding that the Election Commission roll back the SIR exercise in Bihar.

However, an NDTV investigation found that the claim about Minta Devi’s age was not accurate. Records showed that Minta Devi, a resident of Siwan district’s Daraunda Assembly constituency, is in fact 35 years old. The “124 years” entry, according to officials, was the result of a clerical error.

A poll body representative told NDTV that the mistake likely occurred due to an incorrect entry in her voter application form, which then got reflected in the final list. The official clarified that such errors are not uncommon during large-scale roll revisions, but are usually corrected during verification rounds.

While the Election Commission has not released an official statement directly addressing the protest, sources indicated that steps are being taken to rectify the entry in Minta Devi’s records.

The Opposition, however, insists the error is symptomatic of deeper problems in the voter roll update process. They have alleged that inflated or incorrect entries could be exploited to manipulate election outcomes, particularly in closely contested constituencies.

The Special Intensive Revision, aimed at updating voter rolls ahead of upcoming elections, has been under scrutiny in Bihar after reports of discrepancies in multiple constituencies. Opposition leaders have vowed to continue their agitation until the process is reviewed and corrected.

For now, Minta Devi – who may not be 124 years old, but has unexpectedly become the face of a heated political row – remains at the center of a debate over electoral accuracy and transparency in India’s largest democracy.