New Delhi

The second day of the Parliament’s Winter Session began with a strong show of opposition unity as Congress and INDIA bloc MPs staged a protest outside the Makar Dwar against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Top leaders including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi joined the demonstration, demanding a full parliamentary debate on the SIR exercise being carried out across 12 States and Union Territories.

The Opposition has accused the government of undermining voting rights through the SIR process, alleging mass deletions of voter names. “In Bihar alone, 62 lakh voters have been removed,” Congress MP Manickam Tagore said, adding that the “right to vote is at stake” and the government “must not run away from a debate.”

Tagore alleged that multiple Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have died by suicide under work pressure and raised concerns over the impact on democracy.

On Monday, the first day of the session, repeated adjournments rocked the Lok Sabha as Opposition parties pushed for an immediate discussion on SIR. Congress MP Digvijaya Singh criticised the exercise, calling it “CAA in the name of SIR,” arguing that voters are now being asked to fill forms and submit proof of citizenship—unlike earlier revisions conducted over several months through direct verification.

Responding to the protests, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi accused the Opposition of creating chaos and neglecting meaningful debate. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi “showed the opposition a mirror” with his “drama” remark, warning that protests over “baseless issues” may lead to electoral setbacks similar to what the INDIA bloc faced in Bihar.

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Meanwhile, legislative business continues as planned. On Tuesday, the government will move the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to introduce provisions increasing excise duties and cess on tobacco products.