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New Delhi, December 2 (IANS): Opposition parties on Tuesday intensified their criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, calling it a "human tragedy" following reports of several Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) allegedly dying by suicide due to work-related stress. They also demanded an urgent discussion on the issue in the Parliament.
Talking to reporters outside the Parliament, Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose said: "Because of the government’s policies, there is an atmosphere of mistrust. We have not been given any assurance about when or even whether the discussion we are demanding on SIR will be taken up. SIR has become a human tragedy. With SIR, people are dying. Parliament cannot sit quietly in the face of such a tragedy."
Trinamool MP Kirti Azad also raised concerns, alleging electoral manipulation.
"There is no doubt that there has been ‘vote chori.’ The government has stolen votes and continues to do so. If everything is transparent, why is the government afraid of holding a discussion on SIR in Parliament?"
Congress MP Jebi Mather echoed the demand for debate.
"The Congress party and opposition are protesting because our demand is legitimate. We want a discussion on electoral reforms, especially on SIR. What is stopping the government? What are they afraid of? They can simply schedule a date and time."
Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed concern over the treatment of BLOs.
“If you want to conduct SIR, first examine how it is being implemented. More than 30 BLOs have died, some by suicide. This reflects the pressure and unrealistic targets imposed on them. Yet, there is no room for a meaningful discussion. Those staging a drama of democracy cannot lecture us. The Election Commission, agencies, and even the Constitution are being undermined," Chaturvedi told IANS.
Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq questioned claims of political consensus.
"Where was the consensus? It did not happen. The only agreement was before the Bihar elections, not before the Jammu and Kashmir elections. After seeing the Bihar results, we understood the impact SIR had and what it may cause in the future. We have no objection to SIR as a concept, but we strongly oppose attempts to use it as a tool to reduce opposition votes."
From the beginning, Day 2 of the Parliament's Winter Session was marked by protests and demonstrations as the Opposition members kept up the heat on the government over issues of SIR and electoral reforms.
Several lawmakers, from the Opposition parties, stood in the Parliament premises, before the beginning of the session, holding placards and banners and demanding urgent discussion in the House over ECI’s "biased and partisan" voter verification drive, currently ongoing in 12 states and Union Territories (UTs).
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, his Rajya Sabha counterpart and Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge, and party MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the stir, holding the government accountable for "voter fraud" and "electoral rolls manipulation" under the guise of the SIR exercise. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also joined the protest.
The banners displayed by Opposition MPs read -- “End SIR, stop vote chori”, suggesting that they are unrelenting in their demands over discussion on SIR and electoral reforms, an issue that led to the washout of the first day of Parliament.
Kharge, talking to media persons, said that their fight against injustice and attempt to "silence the democracy" will continue.
The SIR, described by ECI as an essential “voter purge” exercise ahead of elections, has left the government and Opposition sharply divided – the reflection of which was visible on Day 1 of Parliament.
The Rajya Sabha also erupted in a verbal exchange as Leader of Opposition Kharge pressed for an immediate discussion on the SIR of electoral rolls underway in 12 poll-bound states and Union Territories, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
Invoking Rule 267 for an adjournment motion, he highlighted alleged irregularities that he claimed have led to at least 30 deaths, accusing the government of disenfranchising marginalised voters and undermining democracy.
In a charged address, Kharge, flanked by the INDIA bloc leaders, laid out the Opposition's notices. "Today, we have given notice under Rule 267 for a special discussion on the intensive revision going on in 12 states and UTs," he declared, listing the names and subjects of notices from Congress and allied MPs.
He lamented a breach of parliamentary tradition, noting that, unlike in the Lok Sabha -- where notices are routinely read out -- these were abruptly sidelined.
"Our members have submitted names and subjects, but suddenly, those who gave notices aren't even acknowledged. I don't want to embarrass you, but you've been seeing only one side -- you're not seeing the full picture," Kharge said pointedly to Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan, drawing murmurs from Treasury benches.
