New Delhi, July 22: Proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were repeatedly disrupted on Tuesday, the second day of the Monsoon Session, as opposition parties staged protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently being conducted by the Election Commission (EC) in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
As a result of the continued uproar, both Houses were adjourned for the day and will reconvene at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 23.
The Lok Sabha was first adjourned until noon shortly after it assembled in the morning. It reconvened briefly but was suspended again until 2 p.m. as opposition members continued their demonstrations.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticized the Opposition for stalling parliamentary proceedings despite the government's stated willingness to discuss the issue. “They are demanding a discussion, and we are ready for it. Then why disrupt the House? This double standard is unacceptable. Public money is being wasted,” Rijiju said.
Presiding over the Lok Sabha session, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal urged opposition members to follow parliamentary procedures by submitting proposals or resolutions instead of waving placards. “You can place your demands through the proper channels—the Business Advisory Committee will review them, and time will be allotted for discussion,” he said.
Similar scenes unfolded in the Rajya Sabha, where opposition MPs raised slogans calling for a debate on the electoral roll revision in Bihar. The protests extended outside the Parliament as well, where senior leaders including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav gathered at Makar Dwar to denounce the EC’s revision exercise.
Many opposition MPs carried placards with slogans such as “Stealing of Indian Rights” and “Death of Democracy,” accusing the EC’s actions of undermining electoral fairness. The issue has become a major point of contention, with the INDIA bloc demanding that Parliament address the Bihar SIR process.
In addition to the electoral roll controversy, opposition leaders have also called for urgent discussions on the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the government’s subsequent response through Operation Sindoor.
(With agency inputs)
