Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has launched a sharp attack on the Congress Party, questioning whether it will issue an apology after Minta Devi—the woman whose photograph was featured on T-shirts during an INDIA bloc protest—criticised the act. The protest, held outside Parliament, was aimed at highlighting alleged irregularities in Bihar’s voter list under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

The controversy began when opposition MPs, led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, wore white T-shirts printed with Minta Devi’s image and the phrase “124 not out”—a reference to a clerical error in the Election Commission’s records that mistakenly listed her age as 124 years old. The opposition claimed this was symbolic of “vote theft” and evidence of widespread discrepancies in the electoral roll.

However, the campaign took an unexpected turn when Minta Devi herself spoke out. Addressing reporters, she said she was unhappy that her image was used without her consent. She further ridiculed the age error, joking that if the authorities truly believed she was 124, she should start receiving an old-age pension. Devi’s remarks undermined the symbolic impact of the protest and gave the BJP an opening to attack the opposition.

Rijiju, sharing a video on X (formerly Twitter) that first showed Priyanka Gandhi addressing the media followed by Minta Devi’s critical remarks, accused the Congress of mocking her age. “Whole day Congress and opposition MPs used the photo of Minta Devi, mocked her that she is 124 years old! Will Congress apologise to the nation?” he posted.

The Union Minister also used the opportunity to draw attention to internal rifts within the Congress, pointing to the sacking of Karnataka minister KN Rajanna after he alleged voter list manipulation during the Congress government’s own tenure. “Congress Minister in Karnataka has also accused his own Congress Government,” Rijiju added, implying hypocrisy in the party’s stance.

The protest was part of the INDIA bloc’s campaign against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, an exercise that the opposition claims has been manipulated to selectively remove voters perceived to be anti-BJP. Leaders have accused the Election Commission of acting in collusion with the ruling party, citing data collected by their own workers that allegedly revealed large-scale deletions and errors.

The episode highlights the increasingly personalised nature of political protests, where symbolic images can backfire if those depicted reject the cause. In this case, the opposition’s attempt to make Minta Devi a poster figure for electoral injustice was undermined by her public disapproval.

Political observers note that the controversy could serve as a talking point for the BJP in Bihar’s political battle and may even weaken the opposition’s credibility in pushing the voter list manipulation narrative. With both the BJP and the Congress already preparing for the high-stakes electoral season ahead, incidents like these underline the volatile, high-risk nature of political symbolism in India.

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