Parliament Monsoon Session: Both Houses adjourned for the day as INDIA bloc protests Bihar SIR – ‘murder of democracy’

Parliament Monsoon Session: The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed noisy scenes and disruptions for the third consecutive day of the Monsoon session on Wednesday as Opposition leaders continued protesting against the revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, among other issues.

After repeated disruptions, both Houses were eventually adjourned for the day to meet again at 11 am on July 24.

Opposition members stormed the Well of the Lok Sabha during Question Hour, waving placards and raising slogans. The proceedings were adjourned until 12 noon.

Similar scenes played out when the House reconvened and BJP leader Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair, adjourned the proceedings till 2 PM after laying of parliamentary papers and introduction of two bills of the sports ministry.

‘Roll back SIR’ slogans rock Parliament

Opposition members raised slogans like “SIR wapas lo (Roll back SIR)”.

Monsoon Session of Parliament began on July 21 and has seen disruptions on all three days so far. The Opposition demands a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, an exercise initiated by the Election Commission ahead of the state assembly polls due later this year.

When the House reconvened at 2 PM, the protests returned and the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day.

Speaker Om Birla said the protesting MPs were behaving as if they were on the streets and warned that he would be forced to take “decisive” action against them.

“You should behave in a manner that reflects the hopes and aspirations of the people who have elected you. You should work in a manner and debate and discuss issues that will make people’s lives easier. But you have been showing street-like behaviour in Parliament,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

‘MPs are not supposed to carry placards’

Birla also told the members that their behaviour does not behove Parliamentarians. “The MPs are not supposed to carry placards. If you continue with such acts, I will be forced to take decisive action,” he said and asked the members to take their seats.

The House witnessed repeated adjournments and could not function on the first two days of the Monsoon session due to Opposition protests over the demand for a discussion on Operation Sindoor and the SIR in Bihar.

‘Murder of democracy’

“We have been listening to the news since yesterday and around 52 lakh voters have been removed. They are still saying that around 20 lakh are missing. This means that they want 70 to 72 lakh voters. Secondly, the BLOs have not given receivings to any of the people. Basically, there is no proof of anything. We are relying on the Election Commission’s words alone. This is a clear murder of democracy,” Congress MP Ranjit Ranjan told news agency PTI.

This means that they want 70 to 72 lakh voters… This is a clear murder of democracy.

Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha, too. The Upper House was eventually adjourned for the day amid Opposition protests over the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.