New Delhi: Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav has criticised the Election Commission of India on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls, accusing the poll body of exerting “monopoly” and working on “instructions” of the Central government.
Speaking to reporters, the SP MP claimed that nearly 50 lakh voters will be affected by this exercise, further alleging that there is no transparency in the entire process.
“The whole opposition stands united because somewhere we all can see that the Election Commission is exerting its monopoly and working on the instructions of the government.
This government is destroying the democratic setup of the country… If the Election Commission had to do this exercise, it should have done so earlier. Why are they doing it right before the elections? Nearly 50 lakh voters will be affected and there is no transparency in the entire process,” Dimple Yadav said.
Meanwhile, proceedings of the Rajya Sabha were adjourned till July 28 on Friday amid continuous sloganeering by Opposition members.
The ruckus erupted while Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was responding to a question.
BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was in the chair, announced the adjournment as protests intensified.
Opposition MPs began sloganeering earlier in the day as the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh declined the Rule 267 notices for the Suspension of Business.
Addressing the ruckus in the house, the Deputy Chairman said, “There was a breach of decorum yesterday; some members were not in their designated seats. The rules ban interruption to any member who is speaking with the permission of the chair. It is tantamount to a breach of privilege of the house.”
Several opposition parliamentarians in the Rajya Sabha had moved Suspension of Business notices, urging a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury moved a notice under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha on Friday morning, demanding the suspension of house business to discuss the SIR exercise being carried out by the Election Commission (EC) in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh submitted a notice demanding a detailed discussion on the SIR process in Bihar, highlighting concerns over the voter list revision. Similarly, Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan, Ashok Singh, Neeraj Dangi and Rajani Patil also gave notices under Rule 267, pressing for an immediate dialogue on the same issue.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla adjourned proceedings of the lower house till 2 PM on Friday amid sloganeering by Opposition members.
The Parliament has witnessed frequent adjournments for the last four days since it began on July 21. Yesterday, the proceedings in both houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day amid protests by the opposition.
Earlier in the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge joined the protest by MPs of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) against the ongoing SIR of voter rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The protest, which entered its fifth consecutive day, was held at Parliament’s Makar Dwar.
Several senior Congress leaders, including the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and party leader Priyanka Gandhi, also participated in the protest. The MPs marched from the Gandhi statue on the Parliament premises ahead of the start of the day’s session.
The MPs were seen carrying multiple posters and a large banner that read “SIR- Attack on Democracy.
“The India bloc MPs, at the Parliament premises, raised slogans against the Centre, chanting “Modi sarkar down down” and “Stop the attack on democracy.” The MPs also tore down the posters in a symbolic gesture of rejecting the Bihar SIR.
This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.