SIR stir: Oppn sceptical of govt debate overture

A short winter session of Parliament, with a new Chairman of the Upper House, began on a fractious note on Monday, with opposition parties demanding an immediate debate on electoral reform, and disrupting business in the process, despite the government's assurance that it would consider the proposal.

- Saubhadra Chatterji

The INDIA bloc of opposition parties has said it will launch a protest from Tuesday, seeking an immediate debate on an issue that they have repeatedly raised over the past few months —although it seems to have little traction among the voting public if the Bihar results are any indication.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to that outcome and to the importance of parliamentary business in his opening remarks outside Parliament before the start of the session. Parliament is for delivery, not drama, he added: “The Opposition should do its part and raise important issues and step aside from the disappointment of failure. Some parties cannot even handle that; their defeat has made them unsettled...”

In response, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge took to X to accuse the Prime Minister of “dramebaazi delivery” (a speech that plays to the gallery). He alleged that the government had been “trampling parliamentary decorum and the parliamentary system for 11 years".

The Lok Sabha saw three adjournments and the Rajya Sabha one.

Amid the Opposition's demand for debate on poll reforms, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju told the Rajya Sabha, "Nobody is undermining any matter. What I am saying is that it (proposal for a debate) is under consideration of the government. You (Opposition) have to give certain space. If you insist that it has to be taken up today, it becomes difficult."

"Other than 12 opposition parties, there are other parties representing different states.