The Monsoon Session of Parliament witnessed chaos on Thursday as opposition parties staged protests in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, raising serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar. Shouting slogans like "Stop vote theft!", MPs from the INDIA alliance demanded an immediate discussion on the issue, forcing repeated adjournments of both Houses.

Rajya Sabha Turmoil

In the Rajya Sabha, opposition members demanded that Deputy Chairman Harivansh allow a debate on the SIR process. He, however, rejected the request, citing that the matter is sub judice in the Supreme Court and under the purview of the Election Commission—an autonomous constitutional body. As MPs continued shouting slogans, the Deputy Chairman called their behavior "unparliamentary" and urged them to respect democratic norms.

Lok Sabha Adjourned Amid Slogans

Similar scenes unfolded in the Lok Sabha where Speaker Om Birla was forced to adjourn proceedings just minutes after they began. "You are not fulfilling your responsibility to the people by merely shouting slogans," he said, adding that Parliament is meant to raise issues through debate, not disruption.

Opposition Pushes for Debate

Congress MP Manickam Tagore submitted an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha to discuss the alleged irregularities in the SIR process. In the Rajya Sabha, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva invoked Rule 267, seeking suspension of listed business for a dedicated discussion.

Ahead of the session, INDIA alliance MPs also staged a protest outside Parliament at Makar Dwar, reiterating their demand for transparency in the revision of Bihar's voter rolls.

Strategic Timing of Protests

The opposition’s protest comes as the Election Commission prepares to release the draft voter list for Bihar today, August 1. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar confirmed that both physical and digital copies of the list would be distributed to all recognized political parties by Bihar’s 38 District Election Officers (DEOs).

The opposition alleges that the SIR process is being manipulated to disenfranchise certain voter groups ahead of upcoming elections, a claim the Election Commission has not officially responded to.