Centre Clears Poll Reforms Debate In Parliament Next Week; ‘Vande Mataram’ Also Up For Discussion

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The Centre on Tuesday agreed to hold a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll amid protests by the Opposition.

The government has decided to list a broader debate on electoral reforms for Tuesday next week (December 9), while a separate discussion on Vande Mataram has been scheduled for December 8.

According to sources, the upcoming debate will focus on electoral reforms, though the Opposition is expected to raise concerns over the SIR process and the deaths of a Booth Level Officer (BLO). The government, however, is likely to highlight past issues such as booth capturing and denial of voting rights, and point out that during the recent Bihar elections, not a single poll was countermanded or required a repoll.

The move follows repeated disruptions in Parliament earlier in the day, with Opposition MPs demanding an immediate debate on the SIR exercise. They have argued that the revision process could lead to voter deletions and undermine democratic participation.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the government for delaying the discussion. Describing the refusal as “unfortunate for the country and harmful for democracy,” he accused the Centre of avoiding scrutiny over a sensitive electoral process.

Members of the INDIA bloc have been pushing for transparency in the SIR rollout, and earlier held a protest at Parliament’s Makar Dwar carrying placards that read “Stop SIR – Stop Vote Chori”.

(With inputs from agencies)