'Loktantra par var': Opposition MPs protest on SIR issue; Kharge, Rahul, Sonia, Akhilesh among protestors

Time of India

a day ago

Prominent leaders from the India bloc, including Congress President
Mallikarjun Kharge
, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha
Rahul Gandhi
, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, joined a protest outside Makar Dwar of Parliament on Monday over the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls.
The protest saw participation from across Opposition parties, with leaders holding banners which read "Loktantra par vaar" (attack on democracy) and placards that read "Stop SIR", accusing the government of undermining democratic values.
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Also present at the demonstration were Assam Congress Chief Gaurav Gogoi and CPI(ML)(Liberation) MP Raja Ram Singh Kushwaha, reflecting the broad base of concern over the alleged expansion of SIR.
Meanwhile, in a move to show strength in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, Bharatiya Janata Party has called upon all the MPs of alliance parties that remain part of the larger National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The BJP had requested that all NDA MPs be present at the Makar Dwar of the Parliament today at 10:00 AM.
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Lok Sabha is set to hold a special discussion on '
Operation Sindoor
', India's military response to the
Pahalgam terror attack
.
A fiery debate on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor is expected to unfold in Parliament, between top leaders from the ruling alliance and the Opposition.
Lok Sabha List of Business for Monday states, "Special Discussion on India's strong, successful and decisive 'Operation Sindoor' in response to terrorist attack in Pahalgam".
Twenty-six civilians were killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, after which India retaliated through precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Even since the monsoon session began on July 21, the Parliament has witnessed constant adjourments amid uproar over the demands of the opposition to push for a debate on issues of public importance, including the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack and the ongoing SIR exercise being carried out by the Election Commission in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
The opposition has also demanded that PM Modi respond to the repeated claims made by US President Donald Trump of initiating a "ceasefire" between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.
The first week of the Monsoon session of Parliament was marked by major disruptions, including the surprise resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar as Vice President.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the debate on Operation Sindoor will be held for 16 hours in the Lok Sabha on July 28 and for 16 hours in the Rajya Sabha on July 29.
"All issues cannot be discussed together... The opposition has raised several issues, like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar and others. We have told them that Operation Sindoor will be discussed first. We will decide which issues to discuss after that. Operation Sindoor will be debated for 16 hours in the Lok Sabha on Monday (July 28) and for 16 hours in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (July 29)," Rijiju told reporters.
Apart from this, the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc parties will meet on Monday at 10 am to discuss the strategy for the second week of the monsoon session, with the Lok Sabha slated to take up discussion on Operation Sindoor on Monday and the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.