Winter Session Day-1: LS proceedings adjourned after protests by Opposition
STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Monday following protests by opposition parties demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
After the House paid tributes to five departed former members and congratulated the women cricket team and other sports persons who brought laurels, the opposition started the protests pressing for their demands.
Speaker Om Birla said this was the first day of the Winter session and he expected that there should be a positive and active participation by the members in the debate and discussions.
“In democracy, it is natural to have differences. But this can be resolved through discussions. We are the biggest democracy. This is not a place for sloganeering and showing placards,” he said.
Birla said the members were elected by the people with the expectations that they would fulfil people’s hopes and aspirations.
“I will give you enough time within rules and regulations. But it is not good to systematically disrupt the House every time,” he said.
The speaker said the Question Hour is very important and a message should go to the world that Parliament is active and functional.
“We should set a good precedent. Let the House run. House is for debate and discussions,” he said.
However, the opposition members ignored the pleas and continued the protests, leading to adjournment of proceedings for the day.
Amid the uproar, a bill to implement amendments to the GST law in Manipur was passed after a brief discussion.
The Bill was introduced earlier in the day by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to replace an ordinance on the issue. The state is under President’s rule, hence Parliament is using its powers to pass the legislation.
Before being adjourned for the day around 2.20 PM, the House saw two earlier adjournments during the Question Hour in the morning and later in the afternoon.
Several Opposition members trooped into the Well shouting slogans and protesting over SIR, as they have been demanding a debate on the issue.
During the 12 minutes of the Zero Hour, Sitharaman introduced three bills besides tabling supplementary demands for grants for 2025-2026.
Two bills to levy excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products, as well as a new cess on the manufacture of pan masala, were introduced.
They are the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025.
The Election Commission had announced SIR in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Among these, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal will go to polls in 2026. In Assam, where polls are also due in 2026, the revision of electoral rolls was announced separately. It is being called ‘Special Revision’.
