Govt must debate SIR, House not running reflects ruling side's weakness: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday, 5 August, dared the government to debate the Election Commission's voter roll revision in Bihar and claimed that the fact that the House is not being able to run smoothly is a manifestation of the ruling side's weakness.

Her remarks came amid a logjam in Parliament due to vociferous protests by opposition parties demanding a discussion on the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise carried out by the Election Commission in Bihar.

"Parliament is not functioning. It has not been functioning since so many days. Why is it so? I was thinking how difficult it is, they (the government) should speak with everyone and say that we will debate on it. How difficult it is to run the House?" Priyanka Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament House complex.

"Have they become so weak that they are unable to ensure that the House runs. Everyday we have to do this because they don't want to discuss a particular issue. Why can't they debate it?" the Congress MP from Wayanad asked.

She said there should be a debate on the SIR since the exercise is being done throughout the country and is an issue that affects the whole country.

"There was a debate on Operation Sindoor. They should debate on this also. Let the country know. We can put forward our position, they can put forward theirs. What is their fear?"

"It is their weakness that they are unable to run the House," Priyanka Gandhi said.

Earlier, several MPs of the INDIA bloc parties, including Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex on Tuesday against the Election Commission's voter roll revision in Bihar, and demanded its rollback.

This is the tenth day of their protest with only one day gap in between on Monday when the opposition skipped their protest in view of the death of former Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren.

The Opposition has been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR, alleging the EC's exercise was aimed at "disenfranchising voters" in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses.