Opposition MPs plan to continue their protest against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll as Parliament meets for the second day of the Winter Session. INDIA bloc MPs will demonstrate outside Parliament’s Makar Dwar at 10:30 am before the day’s proceedings begin.

On the first day of the session, the Lok Sabha saw multiple adjournments—till noon, 2 pm, and eventually for the entire day—as opposition members demanded a discussion on the SIR exercise currently underway in 12 States and Union Territories. Congress MP Manickam Tagore said the INDIA bloc had agreed to press for a debate on the SIR and related electoral reforms. “We will hold a demonstration at 10:30 am in front of Makar Dwar and continue demanding a discussion. All MPs will join the protest,” he stated.

Tagore added that the Opposition wants the matter debated because it concerns citizens’ voting rights. “I submitted agenda motions and hope they are accepted. The government should not avoid this issue—the right to vote is at stake. In Bihar, 62 lakh voters have been removed, and the process is now happening in 12 states. Many BLOs are under severe stress. We want to protect India’s democracy, and a parliamentary debate is essential,” he said.

On Monday, Congress MP Digvijaya Singh criticised the SIR process, arguing that it now resembles the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in its focus on citizenship verification. He said earlier SIR exercises lasted a few months and involved BLOs collecting information directly, without voters filling forms. “This new SIR asks people to fill forms and prove they are Indian citizens. This is not SIR—it is CAA,” he remarked. Singh also admitted the Congress needs to improve its on-ground organisational work.

Responding to the Opposition’s protests, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said the Prime Minister was right to call the agitation “drama”. She argued that if the INDIA bloc continues to disrupt Parliament over “baseless issues”, they might face results similar to the recent Bihar Assembly elections. “PM Modi advised constructive debate in both Houses, but that did not happen. The Opposition should have learned from the Bihar results,” she said. On the second day of the session, the government will introduce the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will move the bill seeking to amend the Central Excise Act to increase excise duties and cess on tobacco products.