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SIR heats up House: Kharge calls it ‘fraud’, Nadda defends
The contentious issue of SIR precipitated heated exchanges between the government and the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday
NEW DELHI: The contentious issue of Special Intensive Revision or SIR precipitated heated exchanges between the government and the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday with Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raising questions about the process and referring to it as “fraud” and Leader of the House JP Nadda retorting that opposition parties had no faith in the Election Commission.
Nadda also took a jibe at the West Bengal government, which has raised questions about SIR, alleging the “rule of law has gone for a ride” in the state.
As soon as the House convened, Kharge raised the SIR issue, and said the exercise was ostensibly meant to clean up the voter list but was allegedly fraught with multiple irregularities and malpractices.
“What Derek O’Brien (TMC) raised in the House…it is very important. Everywhere, SIR is going on fraud is being done to win elections including Tamil Nadu, Bengal and elsewhere…” Kharge said. His use of the word “fraud” prompted a sharp response from chairman CP Radhakrishnan who said it was an uncorroborated claim.
As the Chair did not relent and allow Kharge to speak, the opposition parties walked out in protest. Later, Nadda referred to it as an example of “disruptive tactics”.
Earlier, while raising the issue of SIR, O’Brien had said the exercise was not an electoral reform but a violation of people’s rights in the name of a voter verification drive.
Slamming the Opposition for casting aspersions on the initiative, Nadda said the parties showed scant regard for EC. Targeting the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, Nadda said the party has not shown any respect for the judiciary, EC and the democratic procedures.
While replying to a question posed by TMC’s Sukhendu Shekhar Ray, Nadda said the TMC government was to blame for the situation and confusion around SIR.
In his supplementary question, Ray had alleged that “coercive measures” were taken in West Bengal in the name of SIR and demanded a central government team be deputed to find out why the chief minister was on the streets protesting against SIR.
”He has talked about why a lady chief minister is being punished and why so many coercive steps have been taken…It is being done because the only state left is West Bengal, where the rules and regulations and the rule of law have gone for a ride. They have no respect for democratic procedures. They have no respect for political norms. They don’t believe in democratic activities, and they even threaten the judiciary,” Nadda said.
He defended SIR and said the Government of India works according to the rule of law.
