LS adjourned till 2 pm amid Opposition protests on SIR in Bihar

The Lok Sabha witnessed noisy scenes and disruptions for the third consecutive day of the Monsoon session on Wednesday, 23 July, as Opposition members continued protesting against the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Waving placards and raising slogans, Opposition members stormed into the Well of the House during Question Hour, leading to the adjournment of the proceedings till 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.

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

The Opposition is demanding 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.

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 said.

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.