Atul Bhatkhalkar defends SIR process and criticizes opposition

BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar has defended the Special Inquiry Report (SIR) process following questions raised by former Justice Nariman regarding Supreme Court actions involving approximately 9 million voters in West Bengal. Bhatkhalkar asserted that the SIR is a legitimate procedure conducted under existing laws.

Bhatkhalkar also criticized opposition leaders on several fronts. He dismissed Raj Thackeray’s ‘Garjana March’ against the Election Commission as political theater and accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi of questioning electoral integrity only when facing defeat. Additionally, he questioned why Rahul Gandhi had not publicly praised the bravery of Captain Smit Machhar, unlike Arvind Kejriwal and Akhilesh Yadav, alleging that Gandhi’s silence was due to minority-focused politics. He further attacked Congress leader Manishankar Iyer regarding statements concerning India and Pakistan, accusing him of making anti-India remarks.