Both Houses of Parliament witnessed repeated adjournments on Friday as the Opposition intensified its protests demanding a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The Lok Sabha was adjourned until 2 PM, while the Rajya Sabha saw proceedings suspended until noon, and again until 11 AM on Monday, 4 August.
The Opposition, led by members of the INDIA bloc, alleged large-scale disenfranchisement of voters in Bihar as part of the electoral roll revision process. Congress MP Manickam Tagore moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, calling for an emergency discussion on the issue.
“This is a mass disenfranchisement of 65 lakh voters in Bihar. It’s a deliberate assault on the Constitution and democracy by the Modi government using the Election Commission,” Tagore claimed.
In the Rajya Sabha, notices were submitted under Rule 267 to suspend regular business for an immediate discussion on the matter. However, the Chair declined the request, prompting Opposition MPs to raise slogans such as “Vote chori band karo” (“Stop stealing votes”) and stall proceedings.
The INDIA bloc parties held a meeting on Thursday, where they unanimously decided to escalate protests both within Parliament and on the streets. As part of their action, MPs from the bloc staged a protest in front of Makkar Dawar on Friday, calling for a full discussion in both Houses on the alleged irregularities in the Bihar electoral roll update. The Election Commission, meanwhile, is scheduled to release the draft electoral rolls for Bihar on the same day, further fuelling tensions in the House.
As soon as the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha convened, opposition MPs disrupted proceedings with chants and slogans. In the Upper House, AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal’s address was drowned out by continued sloganeering from protesting MPs.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed to the Opposition for order in the House. “You should follow the procedure of the Parliament. It is not right,” Birla said, urging members to let the proceedings continue.
Despite repeated appeals, the Opposition refused to relent, maintaining that the issue of voter disenfranchisement in Bihar warranted urgent parliamentary debate, especially in the run-up to the upcoming Assembly elections. The ongoing Monsoon Session has seen daily disruptions over the Bihar SIR issue.
