"This is an urgent matter. We want the discussion to take place now. In the interest of democracy, in the interest of citizens, in the interest of the country, you should allow a discussion (on SIR)."
- Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge
"You cannot win elections, people don't trust you, and you take out your anger in the House. This is not correct." - Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that a discussion on the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram will be held in the Lok Sabha on Monday, followed by a discussion on election reforms from 12 noon on Tuesday.
Amid ongoing Opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) across 12 states during the Winter Session of Parliament, the Narendra Modi government on Tuesday said it is not ready to discuss the purification of voter rolls. However, government sources added that the Centre is prepared to hold a broader discussion on electoral reforms on December 9.
However, the Opposition wanted the discussion on electoral reforms to be held first, with the debate on 150 years of Vande Mataram scheduled afterward.
On the first two days of the Parliament session, both Houses have witnessed a near washout as the Opposition continues to push for an immediate discussion on SIR and the numerous Block Level Officers who died while on duty, as reported across India.
On Day 2, Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha renewed their demand for an immediate discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Rijiju responded by reiterating his call for patience and formal meetings before agreeing on a discussion time. "Yesterday, I said, please don't put timeline conditions on anything," Rijiju said.
He emphasised the importance of structured conversations in parliamentary functioning and cautioned against prioritising one issue over others.
"There are many issues in the country. You should not undermine one issue and take up another issue. All the issues are important," he further said.
As disruptions continued, Rijiju criticised the Opposition for expressing frustration in the House, stating, "You cannot win elections, people don't trust you, and you take out your anger in the House. This is not correct," he said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted concerns over the impact of SIR on officials, claiming that 28 block-level officers (BLOs) had died due to excessive workload.
Kharge called for immediate attention, stating, "This is an urgent matter. We want the discussion to take place now. In the interest of democracy, in the interest of citizens, in the interest of the country, you should allow a discussion (on SIR)."
Earlier in the day, proceedings were disrupted when Opposition MPs began raising slogans as soon as official papers were laid on the table. Some members moved towards the well of the House, prompting Chairman Radhakrishnan to intervene and ask them to return to their seats.
Emds
No comments:
Post a Comment