Parliament disrupted again as Opposition continues to protest over Bihar SIR; NDA calls it hypocrisy

The Monsoon Session of Parliament continued to reel under disruptions for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, as the Opposition intensified its protests against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Both Houses were adjourned for the second time in a day till 2 p.m. following uproar and sloganeering. The BJP-led NDA hit out at the Opposition for "deliberate chaos" and stalling Parliament proceedings, accusing it of running away from meaningful debate. The Opposition, on the other hand, alleged that the SIR exercise was a ploy to disenfranchise genuine voters in Bihar. Prior to the session, senior Opposition leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jaya Bachchan, and Sanjay Raut, staged a symbolic protest at Parliament's Makar Dwar, dressed in black to register dissent over the issue. Despite the disruption, the government tabled six bills on the agenda, including the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at institutional reform and athlete welfare. Speaking to the media, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan slammed the Opposition, saying, "The INDIA bloc has turned Parliament into a battleground of chaos. Yesterday, 11 of the 20 questions listed were related to farmers, rural distress, and welfare schemes. But the Opposition didn't let a single one be answered." "I kept appealing to them with folded hands to let the discussion proceed. They talk of democracy outside and create noise inside. The country should see this double standard," Chouhan added.

Echoing similar sentiments, LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Chirag Paswan questioned the Opposition's stance: "They went to the Election Commission alleging bogus voters. Now, when the EC is revising the rolls in response to their own complaints, they are protesting. This has happened before in Indian electoral history. What has changed now?" However, voices from the Opposition remained firm in their allegations of manipulation and voter suppression. Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said, "The timing of the SIR raises serious concerns. Just before the Bihar polls? It looks like a conspiracy by the Centre, especially when the Election Commission is not showing full transparency." She also criticised the government for "silencing" debate on key national issues. "The Centre doesn't want to discuss the SIR, the Pahalgam terror attack, or the lapses in Operation Sindoor. They are distracting the public." Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also voiced the concern, stating, "This is the first session after the Pahalgam attack and amid disenfranchisement of voters in Bihar. But the government avoids these serious discussions."

In a sharp counter, BJP MP Dharmshila Gupta alleged that the Opposition is rattled because the SIR is identifying and removing "illegal voters from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and the Rohingyas" from Bihar's rolls. "The people of Bihar have rejected the corrupt Opposition. They're protesting out of desperation," she claimed. Actor-turned-politicians Hema Malini and Arun Govil also condemned the repeated disruptions. "This is not respectful to Parliament. It wastes taxpayers' money," Hema Malini said. Arun Govil called it "shameful behaviour" and urged suspension of disruptive MPs. Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh, however, questioned the selective timing of the revision: "Why is SIR happening only in Bihar, and not before the Lok Sabha polls? The intent is clear, and that's why we're opposing it."