
Oppn adamant on demand over electoral roll revision debate, Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm
Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh announced the receipt of 24 notices under Rule 267, most of which pertained to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls undertaken in Bihar.
The notices were submitted by members, including Ranjeet Ranjan, Shaktisinh Gohil, Syed Nasir Hussain, Rajani Ashokrao Patil, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Rajiv Shukla and Randeep Singh Surjewala (all from Congress), Sandeep Kumar Pathak (AAP), Manoj Jha (RJD), and others.
The Deputy Chairman also informed the House that under the same rules, additional notices were submitted by CPI(M) MP Rita Pratap Banerjee and Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghosh, raising concerns over alleged discrimination against Bengali migrant workers in various states.
A. Rahim (CPI-M), P. Santosh Kumar (CPI), and Josh K. Mani (Kerala Congress-M) sought a discussion on the "alleged and unjust" arrest of two nuns in Chhattisgarh.
SP MP Ramjilal Suman demanded a debate on the "unprecedented and unexpected" resignation of the Rajya Sabha Chairman, while CPI(M) MP V. Sivadasan submitted a notice seeking deliberation on "India's trade agreement with the United Kingdom and its impact on the Indian economy".
The Deputy Chairman informed the House that the notices did not conform to procedural requirements and were therefore declined. This led to sharp protests from the Opposition and disruption of proceedings.
Amid the uproar, the Deputy Chairman urged members to honour their collective commitment to uphold the Parliamentary decorum, stating that Question Hour and Zero Hour had not been availed for several days due to repeated disruptions.
The Deputy Chairman appealed to members to allow both segments to proceed uninterrupted. When the ruckus continued, he adjourned the House till 2 p.m.
Earlier in the day, the House briefly turned its attention to a moment of national pride when the Deputy Chairman congratulated 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh for winning the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup.
He described her achievement as a matter of great joy, noting that she had made the country proud by becoming India's first woman to win the title and the nation's 88th Grandmaster.
Several parliamentary papers and committee reports were laid on the table. These included submissions from ministers Pankaj Choudhary, Anupriya Patel, Santanu Thakur, Harsh Malhotra, Ninubhai, and Bhupathi Raju Srinivas Verma.
Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tabled the 57th report of the Standing Committee on Communications in the 17th Lok Sabha, along with the seventh Action Taken Report concerning the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
BJP MP Ramji Bhai Harji Bhai Mokaria submitted reports from the Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs.
BJP MP K. Lakshman laid reports from the Committee on Public Accounts, while party MP Iranna B Kadadi presented the 15th report related to the Ministry of Rural Development.
Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Choudhary also placed an additional Standing Committee report before the House. An updated panel of Vice Chairpersons was announced.
The House is scheduled to reconvene at 2 p.m., though tensions surrounding the Bihar electoral revision may continue to affect proceedings.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
6 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Groundwork for an S.I.R in Delhi underway
Delhi is preparing for what could be its first Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in over 15 years, with officials confirming that groundwork is underway for a potential large-scale house-to-house verification drive. The last such exercise in the Capital was carried out in 2008. Earlier this month, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi uploaded electoral data from that 2008 SIR to its website. (PTI) Earlier this month, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi uploaded electoral data from that 2008 SIR to its website, prompting speculation about a nationwide roll-out. Despite no upcoming major elections in Delhi until at least 2027, the preparation for a new SIR signals a potential push by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reboot voter rolls nationwide—an exercise officials say is necessary to ensure credibility, especially in urban centres where migration and rapid demographic shifts often distort electoral data. Although no official communication has yet been received from the ECI, officials in Delhi and other states have begun preparatory work, indicating that a coordinated revision may be in the offing. 'Right now, we are focused on filling vacancies in the CEO's office related to election work. We have not yet received any instructions from the Election Commission of India regarding the launch of the SIR in Delhi,' said chief electoral officer R Alice Vaz. A second senior official, however, said the revision is 'likely to begin very soon', adding that operational instructions such as the qualifying date and field survey timelines are still awaited. The last SIR in Delhi was conducted in late 2007 and early 2008, with January 1, 2008, as the qualifying date. That exercise included door-to-door verification by BLOs and culminated in the publication of a revised roll on March 16, 2008. While regular summary revisions occur annually, they are limited in scope and largely dependent on self-reporting by citizens. In contrast, an SIR is an extensive, data-driven exercise involving household-level surveys and document verification to update existing records, delete ineligible entries (such as the deceased or relocated), and include new eligible voters. A senior ECI official explained the significance: 'With time, rolls accumulate errors—duplicates, deceased names, migrated voters, or entries made through fraudulent documentation. A nationwide SIR will help clean up the rolls and enhance electoral integrity. BLOs will be central to this effort, going house to house for physical verification.' As per Delhi's most recent summary revision, which used January 1, 2025, as the qualifying date, the Capital had 15.5 million registered voters—up from 14.7 million in 2020. Of these, 8.3 million are men, 7.17 million women, and 1,261 identify as third gender. The national picture suggests Delhi is not alone in ramping up activity. In West Bengal, where assembly elections are due in 2026, the CEO has published partial SIR data from 2022 for 11 districts, accounting for over a third of the state's 294 assembly constituencies. Manipur, too, has initiated field-level preparations. On July 25, a meeting chaired by Joint CEO Ramananda Nongmeikapam briefed political parties on the 'proposed SIR' and discussed house-to-house surveys and rationalisation of polling stations. In Delhi, the uploading of 2008 SIR data was described by ECI officials as 'procedural,' yet seen as a precursor to a more expansive exercise. 'There are media reports of SIR starting in Delhi from August 1, but no letter or notification has been issued yet,' an ECI official clarified. Elsewhere, in Bihar, the SIR is already underway and has become the subject of a Supreme Court hearing. The court has said it will intervene if the draft roll—scheduled for publication on August 1—shows large-scale voter exclusions. Allegations in Bihar include duplication and the possible removal of over 6.5 million entries deemed ineligible. The court has fixed August 12 as the next date of hearing.


Hans India
36 minutes ago
- Hans India
Vice Presidential Election 2025: Laxman is favourite contender for V-P role
Hyderabad: Dr. K. Laxman, a senior BJP leader from Telangana and a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, is under serious consideration as a candidate from the NDA camp. His position as the National President of the BJP OBC Morcha, combined with his role as a member of the parliamentary board that oversees the party's internal electoral process, underscores his significance in the political landscape. He has consistently advocated for backwards classes and has been a vocal critic of the opposition Congress and its policies, making him a strategically important political choice. This consideration comes amid the ongoing conflict between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led INDIA bloc over the BC caste census. The election for the Vice-President has become more competitive following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's return from his foreign tours to the UK and the Maldives. The party is actively searching for a suitable candidate who can effectively lead the Rajya Sabha and has finalised a list of probable candidates. However, it was shared with the RSS, its ideological fountainhead, and so far, the candidates have not been finalised, said party sources. The election for India's second-highest constitutional post has been set in motion by the Election Commission of India (ECI), which has appointed Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Mody as the Returning Officer. Garima Jain and Vijay Kumar have been named as Assistant Returning Officers, signalling the formal commencement of the electoral process. According to party sources, Dr. K. Laxman, a first-time Rajya Sabha MP from a backwards class background, is one of several candidates under consideration. Others include Union Minister of State for Agriculture Ram Nath Thakur, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh, the BJP's outgoing national president and Union Health Minister JP Nadda, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, and Tiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, who is also speculated as a potential candidate. A senior BJP leader pointed out that the Vice-President candidate needs 394 votes to win the election, with the effective strength of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha totalling 786. Currently, the BJP-NDA has 422 votes compared to the INDIA bloc's 312 votes. Making the BJP-led NDA candidate comfortably win the election. However, the party weighing to send a message against the backdrop of the sudden resignation of the former Vice-President Dhankar created quite a stir within the NDA and outside of political circles, turning it into a political tool for the opposition to take on the ruling party dispensation. However, with the NDA's dominance in Parliament and strategic candidate selection underway, the Vice Presidential election is poised to reinforce the BJP's institutional hold. The official schedule is expected imminently, setting the stage for a high-stakes constitutional contest.


Hindustan Times
36 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Military action against Pak paused, not ceased: Rajnath
New Delhi: Operation Sindoor, India's military action against terrorism, has been paused, not ceased, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday, pointing out that the Union government is committed to eradicating terrorism in all its forms and will not succumb to any threats of action or 'nuclear blackmail' by Pakistan. Defence minister Rajnath Singh speaks during the discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha. (ANI) Participating in the special discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha, Singh also urged the international community and organisations to reconsider giving financial aid to Pakistan, claiming that a large part of the funds is used to finance terrorism. After many Opposition leaders questioned the role of the US in the conflict, Singh underlined that the pause was not announced 'under any pressure'. US President Donald Trump has, on numerous occasions, claimed credit for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. 'Our vision is that Operation Sindoor should carry on continuously. There can be a comma but no full stop,' Singh said, asserting that India paused the military action following a request from the Pakistani side. 'If Pakistan commits any terror incidents in future, we will relaunch Operation Sindoor without hesitation.' The minister credited the armed forces for carrying out the precision strikes against terror camps in Pakistan in May, without any collateral damage to civilians, and asserted India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership 'gives a befitting reply'. The military action, Singh said, was in 'self-defence' and it was 'not expansionist.' He also credited the forces for killing three terrorists on Monday who were involved in the April Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives. 'India wants terrorism to end in the whole world, including Pakistan... I had advised Pakistan earlier as well, and today I want to say again, that if you are unable to take effective action against terrorism in Pakistan, take India's help,' he said. 'Indian forces are capable of taking effective action against terrorism on this side of the border, as well as on the other side. Pakistan has already witnessed this during Operation Sindoor.' Targeting the Opposition, particularly the Congress, for questioning the government about the casualties on the Indian side, Singh said had the previous governments taken decisive steps after the 2008 terror attack, Pakistan would have been taught a lesson. 'Some people think we should only talk to Pakistan, since it has nuclear weapons…but this nuclear bluff has cost lives…we believe in giving a befitting response,' he added. He also expressed surprise over questions raised by some opposition leaders on why Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was not reclaimed during Operation Sindoor. 'The day is not far when PoK will become a part of India again,' he added. The minister underlined India's new strategy to strengthen national security and said Operation Sindoor was a demonstration of India's military capability, national resolve, morality and political acumen, which has turned a vulnerable citizen of a soft country into a proud citizen of a strong nation. Urging the international community to push for a permanent solution to terrorism, which he said was 'an epidemic', Singh said Pakistan is a nursery of terrorism, which must not be nourished. 'India is internationally recognised as Mother of Democracy and Pakistan as Father of Global Terrorism,' he said, drawing a comparison between the two neighbouring countries. Singh expressed concern over the appointment of Pakistan as the Vice-Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Panel by the United Nations Security Council, which was formed after the 9/11 attacks in the US. 'It is well-known that Pakistan had sheltered the mastermind of that attack… it is like putting the cat in charge of milk,' he said. Lashing out at Pakistan's continued support to terrorism, he said proscribed terrorists –Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar roam around freely in Pakistan and senior officers of the Pakistan Army are seen attending the funerals of terrorists. 'It is a mockery of the global fight against terrorism that Pakistan is expected to lead the global community against terrorism,' Singh said. Listing the strides made by India in the defence sector, he said in the last 11 years under the leadership of PM Modi, the defence budget, which was ₹2,53,346 crore in financial year 2013-14, has increased almost three times to ₹6,21,941 crore in FY 2024-25. 'In FY 2013-14, defence exports were only ₹686 crore, that have increased to ₹23,622 crore in FY 2024-25. Made in India defence products are being exported to about 100 countries. The exports target is to reach ₹30,000 crore this year and ₹50,000 crore by 2029. I am confident that we will definitely achieve this target,' he added.