LS adjourned till 2 pm as impasse over Bihar Voter Roll revision continues; key bills introduced

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The Lok Sabha witnessed repeated disruptions on Monday as Opposition members protested against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, alleging mass voter exclusions and demanding an urgent debate.

The House, which began at 11 a.m., was first adjourned following intense sloganeering till noon, and then, when it reconvened, was again adjourned after continued commotion made proceedings untenable.

As the House reassembled at noon, Sandhya Rai, who was in the Chair, announced that the Speaker had not admitted any of the adjournment motions submitted by members.

The announcement reignited protests, with Opposition MPs accusing the government of evading accountability over the SIR exercise, which has reportedly led to the deletion of over 65 lakh names from Bihar’s draft rolls.

Despite the uproar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025. The Bill seeks to amend over 350 provisions across various laws to decriminalise minor offences and promote trust-based governance.

Building on the 2023 Jan Vishwas Act, the new legislation proposes “improvement notices” for first-time violations and aims to foster ease of living and doing business.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also introduced the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

Following the introduction of bills, the Chair invited members to raise matters under Rule 377. However, persistent sloganeering and placard-waving by Opposition MPs forced another adjournment till 2 p.m.

Earlier in the day, Speaker Om Birla attempted to commence Question Hour but was interrupted by Opposition members who surged into the Well of the House.

He urged them to use their energy to ask questions that benefit the public, warning against damage to property and reminding members that “the public is watching.”

Despite the chaos, a few questions were briefly taken up. These included concerns over fiscal deficit, school safety audits, and road construction delays in Madhya Pradesh. However, most queries were drowned out by the noise.

The adjournments reflect deepening tensions in Parliament, with the Opposition demanding accountability over electoral processes ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. Speaker Birla reiterated his openness to debate post-Question Hour but insisted that proceedings must follow democratic norms.

--IANS

sktr/dpb