The Indian Parliament is currently facing a deadlock due to disputes surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s voter list. The government has declared that it cannot entertain a discussion on the matter, asserting that it falls under the purview of the Election Commission and is not permissible under existing rules. Despite the heated arguments and protests, the government and the Speaker have affirmed their commitment to proceeding with the legislative agenda.
To try and find a resolution, a suggestion has been put forward to have a debate on election reforms, which would include issues related to SIR. This has been proposed by some opposition parties, recalling past parliamentary discussions on election reforms. However, the government has made it clear that any discussion must comply with the rules and receive the approval of the Chair.
Parliamentary sessions will resume on Tuesday. According to information, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has informed opposition leaders that the House will be in session from tomorrow. The government’s proposed bills will be discussed, and the opposition will decide whether to participate. Even if the opposition continues to protest the SIR, the government intends to pass the bills.
The opposition is protesting the revision of the voter list in Bihar. The issue has become a major talking point from Bihar to Parliament. During the monsoon session, opposition parties are demanding a debate on the Bihar voter list revision in Parliament, alleging that the SIR is removing the voting rights of millions of people.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju previously dismissed the opposition’s demand for a discussion on SIR. He stated that the actions of constitutional bodies like the Election Commission cannot be debated in Parliament.
In the meantime, the Election Commission released the draft voter list for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) on Friday. The draft list shows that approximately 6.5 million names have been removed from the voter list across the state. Bihar has 72.4 million voters in total. The names removed include deceased, displaced, and foreign voters.