By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Protests over demand for debate on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls continued for the second day of the winter session of the Parliament on Tuesday, December 2 causing disruption. Neither Houses – the Lok Sabha an Rajya Sabha – could conduct their business, because the government, though said that they are not averse to discussion but timeline cannot be set. Since the government’s these two assurances ran contrary to each other intended to delay the discussion, the opposition left with no option but to intensify their protest.
On the first day of the Winter Session on December 1, 2025, the Parliament had witnessed repeated adjournments of the Lok Sabha and an Opposition walkout from Rajya Sabha over the demand for debate on SIR of electoral rolls, which is currently being done in 12 states of the country, five of them including one UT are going to polls in the first half of 2026.
First phase of SIR was conducted in Bihar, which was strongly opposed by the Opposition, which according to them was unfair because names of millions of eligible voters were deleted while hundreds of thousands of from outside were added to tilt the election result in favour of the BJP. The Opposition has been alleging that Election Commission of India and the PM Narendra Modi has joined hands to conduct SIR across the country to favour BJP.
On the second day of the Session, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in Rajya Sabha that the government is ready to discuss the issues of SIR and electoral reforms, but don’t insist that it be held within a certain timeline. He highlighted that in the first business advisory meeting the government proposed a discussion on 150 years of Vande Mataram. He said that time has been allotted for discussion on Vande Mataram, and it would not be appropriate to hold discussion on SIR before that.
Opposition members, including Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC MP Derek O’ Brien, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva and Dr. John Brittas, stressed that discussion on SIR was important, especially since people were dying due to SIR. Mr. Siva and Dr. Brittas both asked that the discussion be held tomorrow, with Mr. Siva also saying that the Minister was going back to square one.
Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 PM as Opposition MPs continued their protest in the House. The adjournment came after the House was unable to conduct its scheduled business due to the sustained protest by the Opposition. The House also witnessed disruption on the issue of “Sanchar Saathi App”.
Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury has filed an adjournment motion in the Rajya Sabha seeking to suspend other business and discuss the government’s directive on pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on new mobile handsets. Congress called mandating of the app’s pre-loading as unconstitutional and demanded its immediate rollback. Priyanka Gandhi called this app a snooping tool.
Nevertheless, demand on SIR and accompanied sloganeering by the Opposition compelled the Rajya Sabha to adjourn the Housed till 2PM. The Rajya Sabha resumed at 2 PM and taken some business.
However, Proceedings of the Lok Sabha were disrupted. Opposition MPs sloganeered demanding discussion on SIR in the very beginning of the second day. Minutes into commencing, the Lower House was adjourned till 2 PM. When Lok Sabha resumed at 2 PM, Opposition MPs continued sloganeering with their demand.BJP MP Dilip Saikia was on the chair, and he urged Opposition MPs to remain seated, assuring them that a discussion on SIR will be held. Amid protests, the Chair adjourned the Lower House for the day.
Congress and other Opposition MPs protested outside the Parliament’s Makar Dwar over the SIR ahead of the second day of the Winter Session. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi joined the demonstration, demanding a debate on the SIR exercise in 12 States and Union Territories, highlighting its impact on citizens’ voting rights. The leaders held posters and placards against the SIR. They also had a huge banner which read ‘Stop SIR-Stop Vote Chori’ and raised slogans against the government.
The Opposition demanded that the motions moved by them for discussion of the SIR should be accepted to ensure smooth functioning of the Parliament, and stressed that SIR is a significant issue and that discussion on electoral reforms cannot ignore the role of constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission of India.
BJP leaders have criticised the Opposition for disrupting the Parliament, while the government, and the chairman of the Rajya Sabha and Speaker of the Lok Sabha have urged the opposition to maintain discipline and allow the houses to run. Situation remained tense. If the issues are not sorted out, the Parliament may continue to witness disruptions. (IPA Service)
