Latest news with #SIR
New Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Lok Sabha sees smooth functioning of Question Hour after six days of disruption
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed smooth functioning of the Question Hour for the first time since the beginning of the Parliament Monsoon session on July 21. The House has been witnessing repeated disruptions over the Opposition's demand for a debate on electoral roll revision in Bihar and Operation Sindoor. While the debate on Operation Sindoor commenced in the House on Monday, the Opposition disrupted the first half of the day demanding an assurance from the government that a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar will be held after that. Tuesday was the first time in six days that the House could take up the Question Hour without disruptions. Speaker Om Birla has been insisting that members should participate in the Question Hour as issues related to key ministries are taken up and the government is held accountable.
New Indian Express
27 minutes ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Supreme Court fixes timeline for considering pleas on SIR in Bihar; hearing to start from August 12
The Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed a timeline for considering a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, and said that hearing on the issue will be held on August 12 and 13. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked the petitioners challenging the poll panel's decision to file their written submissions by August 8. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioners, once again alleged that people are being left out from the draft list to be published on August 1 by the poll panel, and they will lose their crucial right of voting. The bench said the Election Commission is a constitutional body, and it has to abide by the law and if any wrong is being committed, petitioners can bring it to the notice of the court. "You bring 15 people who they claim are dead but are alive, we will deal with it," the bench told Sibal and Bhushan. The bench appointed nodal officers from petitioners side and the Election Commission side for filing written submissions/compilations. On Monday, underscoring the "presumption of genuineness" of Aadhaar and voter ID, the top court refused to stay the publication of the draft electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, and said it would once and for all decide pleas against the Election Commission's SIR of electoral rolls. It asked the poll panel to continue accepting Aadhaar and voter ID for the SIR exercise in Bihar in compliance with its order, saying both documents had a "presumption of genuineness". "As far as ration cards are concerned, we can say they can be forged easily but Aadhaar and voter cards have some sanctity and have presumption of genuineness. You continue accepting these documents," the bench said.
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Several Congress MPs move notices to discuss SIR exercise in Rajya Sabha
Several Congress MPs moved notices under Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha to discuss the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being carried out by the Election Commission (EC) in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections while raising concerns over similar drive being planned in West Bengal and other states. Congress MPs Syed Naseer Hussain, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Ranjeet Ranjan, Neeraj Dangi, RajAshokrao Patil, Ashok Singh, and Jebi Mather collectively moved notices under Rule 267, demanding the suspension of house business to discuss the SIR drive in Bihar. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Others CXO Data Science PGDM others Healthcare Digital Marketing Public Policy healthcare MBA Data Analytics Data Science MCA Design Thinking Cybersecurity Product Management Project Management Operations Management Finance Leadership Artificial Intelligence Degree Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 months IIM Lucknow SEPO - IIML CHRO India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 28 Weeks MICA CERT-MICA SBMPR Async India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT-ISB Transforming HR with Analytics & AI India Starts on undefined Get Details Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan stated that the voter list revision in Bihar raises concerns regarding the "potential disenfranchisement of vulnerable sections of society," while calling for a discussion. "That this House suspend Zero Hour and the relevant rules pertaining to Question Hour and other businesses of the day to discuss the concerns arising out of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar and its proposed expansion to states such as West Bengal. These exercises raise serious concerns regarding the potential disenfranchisement of vulnerable sections of society, who are likely to face significant challenges in complying with the Election Commission's directives within a limited timeframe," Ranjan said in her notice. Meanwhile, Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil said that the SIR drive has "sparked grave apprehensions about potential electoral manipulation ". Live Events "That this House suspend Zero Hour and the relevant rules pertaining to Question Hour and other businesses of the day to discuss the concerns arising out of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar ahead of elections, as well as reports of a similar exercise being planned in West Bengal and other states. These actions have sparked grave apprehensions about potential electoral manipulation, particularly in view of concerns that had emerged in Maharashtra during the 2024 Legislative Assembly Elections," she said. Earlier in the day, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala moved a notice for the suspension of business in the upper house of Parliament on Tuesday, demanding a discussion on the SIR. Writing to the Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha, Surjewala, stated, "I hereby give notice under Rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) of my intention to move the following motion for the suspension of business listed for 29 July 2025." MPs of the INDIA on Tuesday earlier continued their protest against the ongoing SIR, holding up cartoon posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shackling Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar to of the INDIA bloc have been protesting against the voter roll revision on since the commencement of the monsoon session on July 21 both in an outside of Parliament. Multiple political leaders, including Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi, Manickam Tagore, Hibi Eden, DMK MP Kanimozhi, JMM MP Mahua Maji, and RJD MP Manoj Jha, protested in the ongoing rain ahead of the commencement of today's session in Parliament, holding up posters and demanding a halt to the exercise. Proceedings of Lok Sabha began on Tuesday morning to continue discussion on Operation Sindoor for the second day, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah set to address the Lower House today. This is the seventh day of the ongoing monsoon session. Minutes after it was convened at 11 am, the Rajya Sabha got adjourned till 2 PM. Meanwhile, the upper house plans to hold a 16-hour-long discussion on Op Sindoor today. The Lok Sabha on Monday afternoon began discussion on 'India's strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor', launched in response to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The debate was initiated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh .
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Opposition leaders protest against SIR in Parliament complex
Several Members of Parliament from the INDIA bloc on Tuesday staged a protest in the Parliament House complex, voicing strong opposition to the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter roll in Bihar. The leaders demanded an immediate rollback of the exercise, which they claim is an attempt to disenfranchise voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. MPs from the Congress, DMK, TMC, RJD, Left parties, and other allies gathered on the steps of Makar Dwar before the day's proceedings began. Holding placards that read 'Stop vote loot' and featuring imagery suggesting collusion between the Election Commission and the government, the MPs raised slogans such as 'Vote ki chori bandh karo' (Stop vote theft) and 'SIR wapas lo' (Rollback SIR).
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Opposition stage protest against Bihar SIR
LIVE LIVE Parliament monsoon session LIVE updates | Opposition stage protest against Bihar SIR The upper house was adjourned twice due to protests from the opposition regarding a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
