The Union government has agreed to the Opposition’s demand for a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, after protests over the issue disrupted Parliament proceedings for a second day during the Winter Session on Tuesday.
Both Houses were adjourned and proceedings were marred by ruckus and sloganeering, with INDIA bloc MPs refusing to relent in pressing for a discussion on the SIR exercise being conducted across 12 states and Union Territories.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Rajya Sabha that the Union government is ready for a discussion on the SIR issue and electoral reforms in Parliament, but asked Opposition parties not to insist on setting a timeline.
However, after an all party meeting followed by a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, it was decided that the Lok Sabha will take up a debate on the electoral reforms on December 9. A discussion on '150 years of Vande Mataram' will be taken up by the lower House on the previous day, on December 8, and would be initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Both debates have been allotted 10 hours each, with the option of extension if the House deems it fit.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday appealed to the opposition parties to 'cooperate fully' with the decision taken regarding the debate on the electoral reforms.
"When we discuss about reforms in election, you can discuss and talk about many issues related to election and its process in our country. For Parliamentary democracy, the election process is extremely important," the minister said while briefing reporters after the Business Advisory Committee (BAC).
"Finally, everybody has agreed for the discussion and my special appeal to all the members, especially the Opposition parties, is to cooperate fully with the decision taken. We all will take part. And also to enrich the Parliamentary proceedings by making very substantive and important contributions while the discussions and debates take place..," he said.
The Lok Sabha will take up a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on December 9, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed on Tuesday.
The decision was taken after an all-party meeting and a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, signalling that the logjam prevailing in both Houses over the Opposition's demand to discuss Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is likely to be broken.
"During the All Party Meeting Chaired by Speaker Lok Sabha today, it has been decided to hold discussion in Lok Sabha on 150th Anniversary of National Song 'Vande Mataram' from 12 Noon on Monday 8th December and discussion on Election Reforms from 12 noon on Tuesday 9th December," Rijiju said in a post on X.
Congress leader K Suresh on Tuesday said the Lok Sabha will take up the discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on December 9, after a meeting with Speaker Om Birla.
Suresh added that a debate on 150 years of Vande Mataram will be taken up by the lower House on the previous day, on December 8, and would be initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The BAC meeting discussed the debates to be held on Vande Mataram and electoral reforms, (with) opposition's SIR discussion debate clubbed under electoral reforms. On Monday, the House will take up the debate on Vande Mataram and then on Tuesday and Wednesday, the House will debate electoral reforms," Congress' chief whip K Suresh told reporters after the BAC meeting.
He said 10 hours each have been allotted to both the debates, adding that time could be extended if the House deems fit.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday accused the Opposition of shedding crocodile tears on Manipur and indulging in 'drama' over the grievances of people of the state.
Her attack came during her reply to a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, extending GST benefits to the state through a bill.
Sitharaman accused the Opposition of not participating in the discussion on the bill that seeks to replace an Ordinance in this regard.
The Opposition had earlier staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha after the Chair rejected their demand for a discussion on the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday took up a discussion on the Manipur GST bill to replace an Ordinance promulgated to implement the GST 2.0 reforms in the northeastern state.
The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday after a brief discussion and a statement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha protested and staged a walkout on Tuesday after the Centre refused to prioritise the discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and pushed for a debate on the 'Vande Mataram'.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said many parties have demanded a discussion on the SIR under Rule 267, and it should get priority over other business.
"We have demanded for discussion under Rule 267...What the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, whatever the agenda is, it should get priority. Rule 267 says all other issues should be kept aside and first preference should be given...Otherwise, there is no reason to give Rule 267 notice..." Kharge said.
"Keeping aside all other businesses, the House should take up Rule 267 discussion on SIR," he said.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien raised a point of order and said, "More than 14 opposition parties want discussion on a particular issue because people are dying because of SIR."
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that the Centre is ready to accept the Opposition's demand for a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
However, he demanded that the Opposition come up with no conditions now that the government has decided to take up the topic for discussion.
"From the government side, we propose a discussion on electoral reforms," the minister said.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge suggested that the House take up the debate on electoral reforms under Rule 267, setting aside all other business.
With the parliamentary logjam continuing for a second day, the Centre yeileded to the Opposition demands for a debate on the SIR exercise and electoral reforms, as protests brought proceedings to a halt during the Winter Session. The decision was made following a meeting between the Speaker and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Sources told TNIE that the Opposition will be allotted three hours to discuss the SIR exercise. The exact date and time will be decided during the Business Advisory Committee meeting at 3 pm today.
"Opposition will speak on SIR in electoral reforms. Huge climb down by the government, which was mentioning precedence, now accepted the demand of the opposition. INDIA wins first round," an opposition source told this daily.
The government is "ready" for a discussion on the SIR issue and electoral reforms in Parliament, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, but asked Opposition parties not to insist on setting a timeline.
As the Opposition demanded discussion, Rijiju said he will hold discussions with leaders of various political parties to decide on the issue. His statement came after opposition MPs stormed into the well of the House and raised slogans demanding discussion on SIR.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday told Opposition members in the Lok Sabha that the government was willing to discuss any issue and it has invited leaders from various parties for a dialogue to break the ongoing impasse.
Rijiju's remarks came amid unrelenting protests by Opposition MPs in the House demanding a debate on the special intensive revision (SIR) of the voters' list in nine states and three Union Territories.
The minister said there are several important issues, and the proceedings cannot be disrupted over one issue.
One issue cannot outweigh others at a time when members of smaller parties also want to discuss matters important to them, he added.
Amid slogan shouting by the Opposition members, the Union minister said, "Two to four parties are disrupting the House... In a democracy, people win and lose. They should not vent their anger like this... By doing this, you are losing the trust of the people."
Making similar remarks in Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said he will engage with leaders from various parties and begin consultations on the issue, but stressed that they should not impose a timeline on the process.
Both Houses have seen protests by opposition MPs demanding a debate on the SIR immediately.
Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Tuesday following vociferous protests by Opposition members against the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
During the Zero Hour, which went on for around 10 minutes, various papers and standing committees' reports were laid on the table of the House.
Members of Congress and some other Opposition parties protested and shouted slogans against SIR of electoral rolls, an issue on which they have been demanding an immediate discussion.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told the protesting members that they should protect the decorum of the House and there are many members from different parties who should also be heard.
While taking a jibe at the Congress on recent electoral losses, Rijiju said they are losing the confidence of the people. The government is ready to discuss issues, he asserted.
As the din continued, the proceedings were adjourned within 10 minutes till 2 pm.
Earlier, the proceedings of the second day of the Winter Session were adjourned till 12 noon due to the protests.
Proceedings on the first day of the Winter Session on Monday had also been disrupted due to the opposition protests, leading to repeated adjournments.
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Tuesday following protests by Opposition parties over the SIR exercise of electoral rolls across the country.
As soon as the laying of papers concluded, Opposition MPs trooped into the well of the House, raising slogans and demanding a discussion on the electoral rolls revision exercise.
The protests escalated after Chairman CP Radhakrishnan rejected 20 notices under Rule 267 on five different subjects, stating they did not meet the procedural requirements.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge urged the Chair to permit a discussion on the SIR issue.
Union Minister and Leader of the House JP Nadda and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju assured the House that the government would consult with Opposition members to decide on a suitable time for the discussion.
As the Zero Hour proceeded amid the commotion, the Chair adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury has filed an adjournment motion notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking suspension of business to discuss the government's directions on installation of the Sanchar Saathi App in new mobile handsets.
The Congress has criticised the directions of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app in new mobile handsets as unconstitutional, and demanded its immediate rollback. The party MP has demanded a discussion under Rule 267 which calls for setting aside all other business to take up the matter.
In her adjournment notice, the party MP said, "The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic facet of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Department of Telecommunications' circular directing smartphone manufacturers and importers to pre-load the "Sanchar Saathi" application in a manner that cannot be deleted constitutes a grave affront to this fundamental right."
"Such a mandate enables pervasive surveillance and threatens to place every movement, interaction, and decision of citizens under constant watch, without adequate safeguards or parliamentary oversight," Chowdhury said.
"I, therefore, demand an adjournment of all business of the House to take up an urgent discussion on this critical issue affecting the rights and liberties of our citizens," she said in her notice.
In the Lok Sabha, proceedings quickly turned turbulent as Opposition MPs entered the Well, raising slogans and demanding a debate on the SIR exercise. Amid repeated sloganeering and disruptions, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House till 12 noon after Opposition MPs refused to relent in pressing for a discussion. Following the adjournment, Om Birla called Opposition floor leaders and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju for consultations to resolve the issue.
The House convened at 11 am, with Speaker Om Birla welcoming a parliamentary delegation from Georgia seated in the Speaker's Gallery to observe the proceedings. Soon after, the Question Hour commenced, but the opposition members rose to their feet, shouting slogans demanding a discussion on the Election Commission's SIR.
Amid the chaos, Birla allowed two MPs to ask questions related to different ministries, and the respective ministers replied to the supplementaries. As the protest continued, the Speaker urged the members to cooperate, stressing the importance of Question Hour.
"In a democracy, it is natural to have differences. But behaviour and utterances of some members inside and outside the House are not acceptable," he said, adding that all members should maintain the dignity of the House and the country.
"I always give enough time to every member. But everyone should also maintain the highest standard of the world's largest democracy," he said.
The Speaker then adjourned the house till 12 noon.
Both Houses had a tense start on Tuesday as Opposition MPs launched protests, increasing pressure on the government to allow a debate on the ongoing SIR exercise in 12 states and Union Territories.
In the Lok Sabha, proceedings quickly grew turbulent as Opposition MPs entered the Well, raising slogans and demanding that the House take up a debate on the issue.
Several opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday staged a protest in the Parliament House complex against the SIR and demanded a discussion on electoral reforms.
The leaders held posters and placards against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. They also had a huge banner which read 'Stop SIR-Stop Vote Chori' and raised slogans against the government.
Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, DMK's K Kanhimozhi, and TR Baalu were among the opposition leaders protesting in front of Parliament's Makar Dwar.
The second day of the Winter Session began on a tumultuous note as Opposition MPs continued their protest against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
INDIA bloc MPs staged a demonstration outside Parliament’s Makar Dwar at 10:30 am ahead of the day’s proceedings.
This comes a day after the Winter Session opened to disruptions, with the Lok Sabha repeatedly adjourned and the Opposition walking out of the Rajya Sabha over demands for an immediate debate on the SIR exercise, which is underway in 12 states and union territories. The government said it was open to a discussion but would not commit to a timeline.
On Day 2, the Centre is set to move the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will seek to amend the Central Excise Act to raise excise duties and cesses on tobacco products.
On Tuesday, the Winter Session opened to disruptions, with the Lok Sabha repeatedly adjourned and the Opposition staging a walkout in the Rajya Sabha over demands for an immediate debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The government maintained it was open to a discussion but refused to commit to a timeline.
Ahead of the sitting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Opposition of turning Parliament into a “warm up arena” for elections or an outlet to “vent out frustration after defeat,” adding that he was willing to offer “tips to bring positivity in politics.” He said Parliament was meant for “delivery, not drama.”
In the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced two bills to repurpose levies on tobacco, pan masala and other ‘sin goods’, ahead of the phaseout of the GST compensation cess. Persistent opposition protests over SIR forced two adjournments, with Speaker Om Birla warning MPs against “lowering the dignity of the House.” The House later passed the Manipur GST Bill, replacing an ordinance implementing GST 2.0 reforms in the state.
In the Rajya Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was “not averse” to discussing SIR or electoral reforms but urged the Opposition not to insist on an immediate debate or a fixed schedule. Unhappy with the response, members of several parties walked out. Rijiju sought more time to reply to demands for discussion on the ongoing SIR exercise in nine states and three Union Territories.