Next Story
Newszop

'Give me old-age pension': '124-yr-old' Minta Devi makes light of poll row; attacks oppn for using her image

Send Push
NEW DELHI: A woman from Bihar’s Siwan district has questioned why opposition MPs used her name in their protest against the Election Commission ’s (EC) voter roll revision.

Minta Devi , whose name and age were printed on white T-shirts worn by INDIA bloc leaders, said she was unaware of the move until days later. She questioned that if the opposition is claiming her age to be over 100 years, why they are not giving her a pension.


"I came to know about this 2-4 days back... Who are they (Opposition MPs) to me? Who is Priyanka Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi to me? Who gave them the right to wear T-shirts featuring me?... I think there are discrepancies (in list)... I did not get anyone's (from administration) phone call... Why are they becoming my well-wisher over my age?... This should not be done, I do not want this... I want my details to be corrected... Whoever entered the details, did they do so with their eyes closed?... If I am 124-years-old in the eyes of Govt, why are they not giving me old age pension? My Aadhaar Card mentions 15-07-1990 as my date of birth," Devi told ANI reporters.

Earlier on Tuesday, several MPs from the INDIA bloc staged a protest in the Parliament House complex against the EC’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. They alleged the exercise aimed to disenfranchise voters ahead of this year’s assembly polls.

Senior leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Derek O’Brien, TR Baalu and Supriya Sule joined the demonstration. Their T-shirts carried the words “124 NOT OUT” and the name “Minta Devi”, which they said came from the EC’s voter list. Banners read “Our Vote. Our Right. Our Fight” and “SIR – Silent Invisible Rigging”.


Congress MP Manickam Tagore accused the EC of acting in favour of the BJP. “The voter list is full of such fraud,” he said, demanding a discussion in Parliament.
Loving Newspoint? Download the app now