Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien on Wednesday hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s challenge to the Opposition to debate the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Parliament, sharing footage of a previous attempt by INDIA bloc members to raise the issue in the Rajya Sabha.
O’Brien, the TMC’s parliamentary party leader in the Upper House, posted a two-minute video of the proceedings from December 1, 2025, showing Opposition members seeking a discussion on electoral reforms, including SIR. He alleged that the BJP had blocked the demand at the time.
"A special video for Messrs Modi-Shah & cronies. A reminder from a Parliament they mock. 1 December 2025. Rajya Sabha. Two minutes that tell a story," O’Brien said in a post on X.
"I.N.D.I.A parties demanded a discussion on SIR. The BJP BLOCKED it. And today, all the big talk about wanting a debate! Watch," he added.
His remarks came a day after Shah said the government was willing to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss SIR and challenged Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to take part in the debate.
Speaking at an event in Raipur on Tuesday, Shah accused the Congress of disrupting parliamentary proceedings and taking political battles to the streets instead of raising them in the House.
The war of words comes amid a growing confrontation between the ruling BJP and Opposition parties over the Election Commission's SIR exercise. Opposition parties have alleged that the revision risks excluding eligible voters and raised questions over the poll body's procedures.
The INDIA bloc held a rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on November 1, demanding accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and flagging concerns over the integrity of electoral rolls.
(With inputs from PTI)
