New Delhi, March 10 Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, alleged on Tuesday that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is a "fraudulent" exercise and is being carried out in different states to win elections.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the Zero Hour, Kharge alleged that the SIR exercise is being conducted in all states going to the polls, but Chairman C P Radhakrishnan disallowed him from speaking further. The opposition MPs later staged a walkout over the issue.
"What you are raising is not correct. This is not correct… I am not allowing you," the Chairman said, amidst noisy protests by Opposition members.
"SIR… it is going to every state… it is going to Tamil Nadu, West Bengal…,” Kharge said.
Later, in a post on X, Kharge shared his remarks in the Upper House and said, "Electoral fraud in the name of SIR is happening everywhere!"
Kharge was speaking in support of TMC MP Derek O'Brien, who raised a Point of Order on the issue of SIR and wanted to discuss the issue. However, Chairman Radhakrishnan rejected his demand.
As the Chairman called other MPs to speak during the Zero Hour, TMC members jumped into the well and started raising slogans. However, Congress members protested from their seats, shouting slogans "Votechori band karo".
The Chairman warned agitating members, saying they do not have the right to show placards in the house and said, "I am not going to tolerate it."
"You cannot force the chair for your political advantage. For that, I can not be party to it," said the Chairman, adding that everything was discussed in the electoral reforms bill debate.
As Opposition MPs continued to raise a din, they later staged a walkout from the House.
Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, J P Nadda, criticised the opposition for staging the walkout and said the issue of electoral reforms had already been discussed for several hours, but when the reply to the discussion was taking place, the opposition had walked out of the house. He alleged that the opposition did not believe in a democratic setup.