The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi: Congress and other opposition MPs on Tuesday staged a protest against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll as Parliament convened for the second day of the Winter Session. Members of the INDIA bloc assembled outside Parliament’s Makar Dwar before the day’s proceedings, voicing strong objections to the rollout of the SIR exercise.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Sonia Gandhi also joined the demonstration.
On Monday, the opening day of the session, the Lok Sabha faced repeated adjournments—till noon, 2 pm, and ultimately for the day—as opposition members demanded a discussion on the SIR being conducted across 12 states and Union Territories.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore said the opposition alliance had unanimously decided to press for a debate on electoral reforms and the SIR exercise. “At 10:30 am today, we are holding a demonstration in front of the Makar Dwar. All MPs will participate. We want a discussion on SIR and related election reforms,” he said.
Tagore reiterated that the issue concerns the citizens’ right to vote. “I have submitted agenda motions, and we hope they are accepted. The government should not run away from this critical issue. In Bihar, 62 lakh voters have been removed. This exercise has now been extended to 12 states. Several BLOs are under tremendous stress, and some have died by suicide. Protecting India’s democracy requires a debate in Parliament,” he added.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh also criticised the current SIR model, accusing it of resembling the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). “Earlier SIRs lasted two to four months, and BLOs collected voter information directly. Now people must fill out forms and prove citizenship. This is not SIR; this is CAA,” he said.
Responding to the opposition protests, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “drama” remark was justified, adding that continued disruptions over “baseless issues” would lead to electoral setbacks similar to the recent Bihar Assembly results. “The PM advised MPs to participate constructively, but the opposition chose disruption. They should have learned from Bihar,” she said.
Meanwhile, the government is scheduled to move the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha today. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will introduce the bill, which proposes revisions to the Central Excise Act, including higher excise duties and cess on tobacco products.
