Parliament Set for Crucial Debate on SIR Today

New Delhi, Dec 09 : Parliament is poised for a high-stakes Parliament SIR debate today, focusing on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and broader electoral reforms, after days of disruptions caused by a prolonged standoff between the government and Opposition.

The logjam broke on Tuesday following intense negotiations, culminating in an all-party agreement to bring the matter before both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. As per the schedule finalised at a meeting chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the Lower House will hold a full-fledged debate on electoral reforms on December 9 meeting the Opposition’s long-standing demand for a structured discussion on the SIR process.

The contentious SIR exercise alleged by Opposition parties to have disenfranchised marginalised communities has been at the heart of repeated protests and heated exchanges since the Winter Session commenced on December 1.

In the Rajya Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lead the Parliament SIR debate on December 9 and 10. The Upper House has allotted ten hours for deliberations. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is slated to respond to the discussion, while Leader of the House JP Nadda is also expected to intervene.

Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, the long-demanded debate will resume with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi set to spearhead the Opposition’s arguments. Law Minister Meghwal will reply on Wednesday.

The upcoming debate follows days of visible protests by senior Opposition leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi who demonstrated inside and outside Parliament holding placards that read “Stop SIR   Stop Vote Chori.”

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed the finalised schedule in a post on X, noting that discussions on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram and key electoral reforms were also agreed upon during the all-party meeting.