Clash in Parliament over Bihar Voter List, Politics Heats Up over SIR

National News: The second week of the Parliament session saw a confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar. On Monday, as the Lok Sabha prepared to begin discussions on Operation Sindoor, the SIR controversy spilled over, disrupting proceedings. The opposition claims SIR is a direct attack on democracy and undermines the voting rights of marginalized and weaker sections. The government, on the other hand, accuses the opposition of evading debate and breaking parliamentary decorum.

Differences within the opposition

Sources revealed divisions among opposition parties over how to approach the issue. The TMC reportedly expressed anger at the Congress for agreeing to a discussion without first securing an assurance on SIR. TMC argued that the SIR issue is critical, warning that after Bihar, the process could expand to other states, especially West Bengal.

Protest outside Parliament

Before Monday’s session, opposition leaders met and staged a protest near ‘Makar Dwar’. Senior figures like Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Akhilesh Yadav joined the demonstration, holding banners that read “SIR: Attack on Democracy.” Slogans such as “Save the Constitution” and “Stop the Murder of Democracy” echoed outside Parliament.

Opposition’s allegations

Opposition MPs allege that SIR is being used to strip weaker and deprived communities of their right to vote. They insist the government aims to roll out this exercise nationwide, calling it a serious threat to democracy. Parties from the INDIA bloc vowed to challenge the move both inside and outside Parliament.

Government’s counterattack

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju dismissed these accusations, asserting that it is the opposition—not the government—avoiding debate. He stated that the Parliamentary Affairs Advisory Committee had set 12:15 PM as the start time for the Operation Sindoor discussion, but at the last minute, the opposition demanded that SIR be taken up first.

Calling this a betrayal of parliamentary process, Rijiju said: “The government is ready to debate every issue, but the opposition keeps shifting goalposts, repeatedly disrupting the functioning of the House.”