INDIA Alliance Unites Against 'Vote Theft' and SIR, Opposition MPs Stage Strong Protest in Parliament Premises

The protest saw participation from MPs like Akhilesh Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee, and other members of the INDIA bloc.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Our party’s clear stance is to create a nationwide movement against 'vote theft,' voter manipulation, and tampering, as it is an injustice to the public. If they ascend to power through such theft, it is not beneficial for democracy. This is the murder of the Constitution."

Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore said, "The conduct of the election is unacceptable. Gyanesh Kumar and others have become one-sided. They have started speaking the BJP’s language, which is very dangerous for the country. This is the 16th day we have been demanding a discussion on SIR and vote theft, but the government is arrogant and unwilling."

Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said, "A public movement is underway on the issue of vote theft. Rahul Gandhi’s campaign is ongoing. This issue has now deeply resonated with the public, and it will have a significant impact. The Election Commission still has time to understand and rectify this."

Speaker Birla urged the protesting opposition members to allow the proceedings to continue, noting that India’s Parliament is the only one in the world where translation facilities in 22 languages are available simultaneously.

Despite the uproar, Question Hour began, and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai answered supplementary questions from some members.

However, as the protests continued, Speaker Birla adjourned the Lok Sabha session at 11:22 AM until 12 PM.

The Rajya Sabha session was also adjourned until 2 PM shortly after it began due to protests by opposition members over the SIR and other issues. The disruptions prevented Zero Hour and Question Hour from taking place in the Upper House.

As the session started, Deputy Chairman Harivansh had essential documents tabled. He then informed that he had received 20 notices under Rule 267 to suspend the scheduled business and discuss four issues. However, he stated that none of the notices were found suitable under the rules and were rejected. Opposition members strongly protested the rejection of their notices and began creating a commotion. Seeing no end to the uproar, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the session at 11:08 AM until 2 PM.

Meanwhile, the Congress’s 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar against SIR and 'vote theft' entered its third day. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is leading this campaign, which is receiving tremendous public support. A large number of people are participating in this yatra. It is evident that this could have a significant impact on the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.