The House, which convened in the morning, witnessed immediate disruptions as Opposition members raised slogans accusing the government of “manipulating voter lists” and sought clarity on the ongoing exercise. The uproar forced two adjournments before proceedings were halted for the day shortly after noon. The Lok Sabha will reconvene at 11 am on Tuesday.
Before the disruptions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the media outside Parliament, urging lawmakers to ensure a constructive session. “This is a proud moment as the Winter Session begins. I appeal to the Opposition not to turn the session into drama and to focus on meaningful debate,” he said.
Inside the House, however, attempts to take up legislative business were overshadowed by the Opposition’s insistence on prioritising the SIR issue. The government managed to pass the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill before the protests escalated.
The standoff follows warnings issued by Opposition parties on Sunday that Parliament may not run smoothly unless the government agrees to a debate on the revision of voter rolls. They allege the SIR exercisecurrently active in 12 states—is being carried out without transparency, raising fears of mass deletions.
The government, meanwhile, has outlined a legislative-heavy agenda for the three-week session, including the Atomic Energy Bill 2025 aimed at opening the nuclear energy sector to private players. Economic and financial bills are expected to dominate the schedule.
With 15 sittings planned until December 19, the session is likely to be defined by the Opposition’s push for accountability on electoral reforms and the government’s effort to maintain legislative momentum. The continued impasse on SIR sets the stage for a contentious few weeks ahead.
