The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP) on Monday backed remarks made by Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on the constitutional significance of voting rights amid the ongoing political controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said Bhuyan's observations highlighted the importance of protecting citizens against arbitrary disenfranchisement. He also accused the BJP of engaging in "whataboutery" to divert attention from allegations raised against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission of India.