Opposition MPs created an uproar in the Rajya Sabha regarding the SIR process. Question Hour and Zero Hour were adjourned. Leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Kharge registered their protest in the Parliament premises.
Rajyasbha Protest: Proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were disrupted on Thursday as well due to the uproar by the opposition. During the monsoon session of Parliament, MPs from the opposition alliance 'INDIA' protested against the 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) underway in Bihar. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and several senior leaders from other opposition parties participated in this demonstration.
INDIA Alliance Protests Against SIR
The opposition has raised serious objections to the SIR process. They allege that this special revision of the voter list in Bihar aims to deliberately exclude certain sections from the list. It was this issue that prompted opposition MPs to register their protest in the Parliament premises.
Opposition Gathering in Parliament House Complex
The protest, which took place near the 'Makar Dwar' in the Parliament complex, included MPs from Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal, and several other opposition parties. During the demonstration, the MPs held banners with slogans like "Discussion, Not Deletion." Slogans such as "Modi government shame on you" and "Withdraw SIR" were also raised.
Question Hour and Zero Hour Adjourned in Rajya Sabha
As soon as the Rajya Sabha session began, Deputy Chairman Harivansh placed the necessary documents on the table of the House. He informed that he had received 25 notices from opposition MPs under Rule 267, demanding discussions on various issues. However, the Deputy Chairman clarified that these notices were not found to be in order according to the prescribed rules and were therefore rejected.
As soon as the notices were rejected, opposition MPs started creating an uproar, due to which the House was adjourned until 2 pm, just ten minutes after the session began. For the second consecutive day, Question Hour and Zero Hour could not take place, disrupting discussions on important issues.
Opposition Meeting on Political Strategy
Before the protest, a meeting of opposition parties was held in the Parliament House complex. In this meeting, the strategy for the remainder of the monsoon session was discussed, and it was decided that the government would be cornered on issues like SIR. The opposition believes that such processes weaken the foundation of democracy and should be openly discussed.
Government Accused of Bias
The opposition alleges that the government is deliberately avoiding discussion and ignoring democratic traditions by rejecting important notices. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that the government is running away from sensitive issues and trying to suppress the voice of the opposition.
What is the SIR Process?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a process to update the voter list, in which the names of deceased, transferred, or ineligible voters are removed, and new eligible voters are added. But the opposition alleges that this process is being misused to target certain communities.
