Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Sanjay Saraogi on Tuesday, 27 October accused the Congress-led INDIA bloc of attempting to manufacture a false narrative across the country over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and announced that the BJP had launched a nationwide counter-campaign titled 'Arajakta Hatao, Loktantra Bachao' (Remove Anarchy, Save Democracy).

What Saraogi Said

Speaking to reporters, Saraogi said the Opposition was questioning constitutional institutions and raising objections to the SIR exercise, which he described as a routine mechanism to correct and update electoral rolls. 'The Congress always raises fake issues that have already been rejected by the people. It questions constitutional institutions and raises objections to the SIR, which is intended to correct electoral rolls. The party is talking nonsense, and we have planned programmes on a large scale to counter this,' he said.

He added that extensive preparations were already underway in Bihar for the campaign, whose first phase runs from 23 October to 5 November across all states.

Bihar Padyatra and Samrat Choudhary's Participation

Saraogi announced that the BJP would begin a padyatra in Patna on 28 October. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is also expected to participate in the outreach march, which will cover 10 districts of the state. The padyatra is positioned as a direct response to what the BJP describes as the INDIA bloc's misinformation drive against the SIR exercise.

BJYM Youth Campaign Launched

Separately, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) launched its own youth-focused version of the campaign on Sunday, aiming to engage young citizens in discussions on democracy, counter what it terms misinformation, and encourage informed participation in nation-building. The campaign directly targets the Congress-led Opposition's protests against alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.

Senior Leaders, Amit Shah Set to Join

Several Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states are likely to participate in outreach programmes planned from 1 November to counter the INDIA bloc's campaign, according to people familiar with the matter. Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also reportedly set to join a Telangana BJP unit padyatra on 2 November — a day after the Congress's proposed rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. The proximity in timing signals a deliberate BJP countermobilisation strategy.

The SIR Controversy in Context

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has become a flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the Opposition INDIA bloc, with the Congress alleging irregularities in the process and the BJP insisting the exercise is constitutional and aimed at ensuring clean voter lists. This is the latest in a series of confrontations between the two sides over electoral processes ahead of upcoming state assembly elections. The BJP's escalation — involving senior ministers and a coordinated nationwide campaign — suggests the party views the SIR controversy as an issue it can turn to its electoral advantage.