Opposition warns of Parliament disruption if SIR debate not allowed

The Opposition on Sunday warned that the functioning of both Houses in the upcoming Winter Session could be severely disrupted if the government refuses a discussion on the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls, insisting the exercise has raised concerns of bias and large-scale voter deletions.

At an all-party meeting convened a day before the session, Opposition leaders also pressed for an urgent debate on national security following the Delhi blast, accusing the government of trying to “finish off” democracy and 'bury' parliamentary traditions.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the meeting had become a “mere formality”, asserting the Modi government had unilaterally listed a subject for short-duration discussion without consulting the Opposition.

He noted that the 15-day Winter Session would be the shortest in history, with 13 Bills listed for passage — 10 of which have not been examined by any Standing Committee.

Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi accused the government of undermining Parliament itself.

“It seems the government, under the leadership of the prime minister and the home minister, is looking to finish off India’s democracy and parliamentary traditions,” he said.

Gogoi said the Opposition demanded discussions on:

• National security, including the Delhi blast
• Purity of the voter list amid concerns over SIR
• Air pollution
• Economic security, including MSP and farmer issues
• Foreign policy concerns

He alleged the Election Commission’s conduct before, during, and after elections appeared “biased”.

The Samajwadi Party escalated the standoff, with senior leader Ram Gopal Yadav declaring, “We will not allow the House to function if discussion is not held on SIR.”

Echoing this, the TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee questioned why previous demands to debate SIR and MGNREGA were dismissed.

“If Parliament functions only with the government’s consent, then what value does the Opposition hold?” he asked.

Banerjee noted that 40 booth-level officers had allegedly died during the SIR process, and stressed that the exercise “should not be aimed at deleting names”. The TMC also demanded more time for the Opposition, saying 70 per cent of the business is dominated by treasury benches.

DMK’s Tiruchi Siva said SIR remained the “common issue for the entire Opposition”, while CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar raised concerns on national security, SIR irregularities, and air pollution.

Meanwhile, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari said the Election Commission’s decision to extend the SIR timeline proved the exercise cannot be completed meaningfully in such a short span.

He urged the EC to follow the 2003 schedule and called on the government to “shed ego”.

The poll panel on Sunday extended the SIR timeline by a week — draft rolls will now be published on 16 December, with final rolls on 14 February 2026.