JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly witnessed repeated disruptions on Friday over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, resulting in multiple adjournments amid sharp exchanges between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.
The uproar began when the opposition sought to raise the SIR issue for discussion in the House. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel strongly objected, asserting that such questions could not be raised in the Assembly. His objection triggered a heated confrontation in the House, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings first for five minutes and later for half an hour.
The situation escalated after Congress MLA Zakir Hussain raised concerns related to the SIR process. As soon as he began speaking, Minister Jogaram Patel intervened, reiterating that the matter was not permissible for discussion in the House. Following this, Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Jully rose from his seat and reacted sharply, intensifying the verbal clash.
Jully demanded a thorough investigation into the bundles of forms linked to the SIR process so that any irregularities could be brought to light. In response, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister reiterated that matters related to SIR fall under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission and that the Rajasthan government is not empowered to take action on them. He said raising such questions was against the spirit of the Constitution and outside the purview of the Assembly. Following the minister’s statement, opposition MLAs became more agitated, leading to loud sloganeering in the House.
Amid continuous disruptions, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm. However, as no consensus emerged even after the break, the proceedings were adjourned again for half an hour.
When the House reconvened, the SIR issue once again dominated the proceedings. Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Jully said that while the ruling party might object to the discussion, the opposition was fully committed to adhering to the rules and procedures of the House.
He demanded that, just as electoral reforms were discussed in the Lok Sabha on December 9, a discussion of at least half an hour should be held in the Rajasthan Assembly as well. Responding to this, Minister Jogaram Patel said the Election Commission is an independent and sovereign constitutional body.
While Parliament enacts laws and therefore can discuss electoral reforms, the state government has no direct role in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections. As a result, he said, such a discussion was not possible on the floor of the Assembly. However, he added that election reforms related to the Panchayati Raj Act could be discussed in the House.
Given the uproar from both the ruling and opposition parties, Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani said he would consult legal experts and the Parliament Secretariat on the matter. A decision on whether to allow a discussion on the issue would be taken only after receiving expert opinion. He appealed to members to maintain restraint until then.
Later, during Zero Hour, as MLAs spoke on an adjournment motion, Tikaram Jully attempted to draw attention to the absence of ministers in the House. Speaker Vasudev Devnani intervened, asserting his authority and stating, “It is my prerogative; I will decide.”
The Speaker instructed the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to ensure that concerned ministers and officials are present when MLAs speak under various provisions during Zero Hour. In response, Minister Jogaram Patel said the Speaker’s directions would be followed in the future, but urged the opposition not to create unnecessary disruption. Jully countered that he was speaking politely and alleged that despite repeated assurances, the government failed to comply whenever the Speaker issued reprimands.
Meanwhile, Speaker Devnani also reprimanded MLAs for standing up and leaving the House collectively.
