SIR stir: Opp sceptical of govt debate overture
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is currently underway in 12 states including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala which go to polls next year, and the opposition has claimed this is an exercise that is aimed at disenfranchising supporters of parties opposed to the BJP
A short winter session of Parliament, with a new Chairman of the Upper House, began on a fractious note on Monday, with opposition parties demanding an immediate debate on electoral reform, and disrupting business in the process, despite the government’s assurance that it would consider the proposal.
The INDIA bloc of opposition parties has said it will launch a protest from Tuesday, seeking an immediate debate on an issue that they have repeatedly raised over the past few months — although it seems to have little traction among the voting public if the Bihar results are any indication.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to that outcome and to the importance of parliamentary business in his opening remarks outside Parliament before the start of the session. Parliament is for delivery, not drama, he added: “The Opposition should do its part and raise important issues and step aside from the disappointment of failure. Some parties cannot even handle that, their defeat has made them unsettled…”
In response, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge took to X to accuse the Prime Minister of “dramebaazi delivery” (a speech that plays to the gallery). He alleged that the government had been “trampling parliamentary decorum and the parliamentary system for 11 years”.
The Lok Sabha saw three adjournments and the Rajya Sabha one.
Amid the Opposition’s demand for debate on poll reforms, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju told the Rajya Sabha, “Nobody is undermining any matter. What I am saying is that it (proposal for a debate) is under consideration of the government. You (Opposition) have to give certain space. If you insist that it has to be taken up today, it becomes difficult.”
“Other than 12 opposition parties, there are other parties representing different states. The matter whatever you call it — SIR or electoral reforms — I have stated that the government is not averse in taking up discussion for anything,” he added.
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is currently underway in 12 states including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which go to polls next year, and the opposition has claimed this is an exercise that is aimed at disenfranchising supporters of parties opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission, in charge of the exercise, has strongly denied this. But the tight deadline for SIR — the draft electoral roll is to be published by December 16 — has resulted in pressure on Booth Level Officers or BLOs, usually government school teachers tasked by the Election Commission to carry out the verification exercise , resulting in the deaths by suicide of several.
Kharge told HT that the 12 Opposition parties will start protest outside the main (Makar Dwar) gate of the new Parliament building. “We want the debate to start tomorrow. But we suspect that the government wants to delay it and clear its business.”
In the winter session, the government plans to bring ten new bills, including one to allow private participation in nuclear sector and another to create a single regulator in higher education. On Monday it brought two bills to impose cess on pan masala and tobacco products.
In the Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien demanded a debate. “We had a discussion with parliamentary affairs minister and the Leader of House (JP Nadda). You (Chairman) were present. We referred to a discussion on “urgent need for electoral reforms”. It is demand of 12 Opposition parties.”
DMK leader Thiruchi Siva claimed that Rijiju had assured the Opposition he would get back to them over the debate on Sunday evening. When Rijiju said that the timeline was set by the Opposition, O’Brien retorted, “timeline is not an issue. Trust deficit is.”
As Rijiju mentioned about the importance of other issues, Kharge told him, “Don’t try to divide the Opposition. The more you try to divide us, we get stronger.”
People familiar with the matter said that Rijiju, defence minister Rajnath Singh and Leader of the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, possibly for a discussion on the Opposition’s demands.
In Assam, where polls are also due in 2026, the revision of electoral rolls was announced separately. It is being called ‘Special Revision’.
In the Lok Sabha, several Opposition lawmakers rushed to the well of the house, shouting slogans to demand a debate on the SIR.
The Congress, the RJD and other parties blamed vote chori (vote theft) and SIR for their miserable defeat in the Bihar election. The Opposition parties held a meeting on Monday morning and it was decided to press for an early debate on SIR. The protests planned outside the Parliament building on Tuesday is aimed to start the debate without any delay.
The Bihar SIR was carried out between June 24 and July 25,and an analysis in HT found it was unlikely to have an impact on the election outcome.
In the monsoon session, the government had steadfastly opposed any debate on the SIR and had argued that the Centre can’t reply on behalf of the Election Commission, a constitutional body. This time, in a bid for the middle path, the Opposition has suggested a debate on electoral reforms instead.
Congress leader Pramod Tiwari claimed 22/23 BLOs have committed suicide due to SIR process. He reminded that the election reforms have been discussed on several occasions in the past. HT couldn’t independently verify that number.
Addressing the media ahead of the session, Modi also said, “For some time now, the House has been used for election warming-up or is being used for the frustration of defeat. They are not able to go among the public. A new tradition has been created to use the House for their own politics. Now that the country has rejected them, they should consider changing the strategy. I am ready to give tips — give the MPs an opportunity.”
