Parliament Faces Turmoil Amidst Accusations of ‘Vote Theft’ and SIR Concerns

The monsoon session of Parliament witnessed ongoing disruptions and protests, primarily centered on allegations of ‘vote theft’ and the implementation of SIR. On the 17th day of the session, the opposition continued to raise concerns, leading to significant unrest. Members of the opposition threw paper at the Speaker’s chair and voiced their objections loudly, resulting in the adjournment of both houses until August 18th. Speculation suggests that the government may opt for an early adjournment of the session, given the upcoming break. The parliamentary recess extends from August 13th to August 15th, with no sittings on the weekend of August 16th and 17th. This sets the stage for the resumption of proceedings on August 18th, just days before the session’s scheduled conclusion on August 21st. The issue of SIR has been a focal point of the opposition’s criticism since its inception in Bihar. Protests have been held across the country, highlighting concerns over the removal of voters from the rolls. In Bihar, over 6.5 million names were removed under SIR, including deceased voters, those who had relocated, and individuals with duplicate entries. The opposition has criticized this process, calling it a hasty decision. The opposition has been vocal in its condemnation of the government’s handling of the matter, creating obstacles in parliamentary proceedings. The Lok Sabha witnessed demonstrations on Tuesday, with opposition members engaging in sloganeering and throwing paper towards the Speaker’s chair, delaying the consideration of important legislation. Some bills, including the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill- 2025 and the National Sports Governance Bill- 2025, were passed with little to no debate. Several other bills were passed quickly as well. A significant number of bills were passed without discussion. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed his disapproval of the opposition’s conduct, stating that it undermined the dignity of Parliament. Rijiju emphasized the importance of maintaining decorum and engaging in constructive debate within the House. A united front of opposition MPs marched to the Election Commission to protest against vote theft and SIR. Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were detained during the march but were later released. They chanted slogans against vote theft. Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of vote theft, alleging that duplicate registrations and multiple voting instances had occurred, citing Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency as an example.