Lok Sabha Adjourned Amid Opposition Uproar Over Bihar Voter Roll Revision

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day due to noisy protests by the Opposition parties demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise carried out by the Election Commission in Bihar. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar is a "very big" issue, and the government should agree to a discussion on it and move forward.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned as a mark of respect for its member and former Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren, who passed away on Monday morning. "A big Tribal leader Shibu Soren passed away today, hence we adjourned the Rajya Sabha for the day today, as our condolence on the death," said Parliamentary Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju while briefing the media.

In Lok Sabha, the Opposition was also agitated over the chain snatching of Congress MP from Tamil Nadu Ms R. Sudha. Amid chaos and noise the government failed to table two sports bills it had planned for the day.

Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Mr Kiren Rijiju said the conduct of the Opposition parties was very disappointing and they were not allowing legislative business despite agreeing for it in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC). He said during BAC it was decided to have two-day discussion over the National Sports Governance Bill and National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, both of which were to be passed to align with international regulations.

"Today, at the very beginning of the week, our colleagues from the Opposition disturbed the House and did not let it function. Today, it was decided to discuss two very important bills, the National Sports Governance Bill and the National Anti-Doping Amendment Bill... The important bills for sports and players were to be discussed, but this too was disturbed," Rijiju said.

While speaking to media in the Parliament House complex, Priyanka Gandhi said SIR is a serious issue pertaining to voters' rights and the Opposition will not give in. "It is a very big issue. If all this is being done to the voters' list why should we not raise it? The government should agree to a discussion and move forward, why not," she said.

Though the MP of INDIA bloc parties have been protesting daily in the Parliament House complex against the Election Commission's voter roll revision in Bihar, and demanding its rollback, the protest was not held on Monday in view of the passing away of former Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren.

Rijiju said the government will be compelled to press for the passage of its bills if disruptions continue. He insisted that the government wants a thorough discussion in Parliament over its bills but will be compelled to push for their passage from Tuesday in "national interest" as the proposed legislations are important for governance. “Sometimes, when the bill has to be passed and when we have no other option, it is passed without discussion. We have not done so till now,” he said.

At the same time the minister made it clear that a debate on SIR cannot take place in Parliament as the exercise is part of the Election Commission's administrative action and functioning. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, he noted, had cited a ruling by former speaker Balram Jakhar, a late Congress veteran, that Parliament cannot discuss the functioning of a constitutional body like the EC. He added the Parliament can discuss electoral reforms but not the EC's functioning, adding that the poll watchdog as carried out SIR earlier as well.

On Bihar SIR, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said, "The Election Commission has said that 65 lakh voters have been removed from Bihar for various reasons, and also said that out of these 65 lakh people, 6.5 lakh voters are now registered in Tamil Nadu. How does this happen? I can't believe that 6.5 lakh people/migrant workers from Bihar are permanent residents in Tamil Nadu. This is diabolical. We will never allow this kind of forced changing of the character of Tamil Nadu's electoral constituencies."