Srinagar- The Winter Session of Parliament begins on Monday with the government appealing to all parties for cooperation even as the Opposition remains firm on demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
At an all party meeting held on Sunday, several Opposition parties pressed for a debate on SIR along with national security concerns following the Delhi blast, rising air pollution in the capital, price rise, unemployment, foreign policy and the status of pending bills in states ruled by Opposition parties. They also flagged issues linked to federalism and alleged delays in release of funds.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government would continue to engage with all parties to ensure smooth functioning of the 15 day session, urging leaders to maintain order and allow the Houses to run. He said differences exist but SIR is not the only issue raised, adding that higher productivity strengthens democratic institutions.
The Opposition, however, said Parliament should begin with a discussion on the larger subject of electoral reforms at 2 pm on Monday. They warned that the government would be responsible for disruptions if the demand is ignored.
At the meetings of the Business Advisory Committees of both Houses, the Opposition repeated its call for a discussion on SIR. The government has assured that it will respond soon.
The Lok Sabha has listed the Manipur GST (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, for discussion on Monday, along with the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025. The government has also proposed a discussion on Vande Mataram to mark 150 years of its composition, though many Opposition parties were not enthusiastic.
The session will also take up major reform linked bills, including the Atomic Energy Bill, 2025, which aims to open the civil nuclear sector to private participation, and the Higher Education Commission of India Bill. The Securities Markets Code Bill, 2025, seeking to unify key market laws, is also listed.
Fifty leaders from 36 political parties attended Sunday’s meeting, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president J P Nadda, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called the meeting a formality and criticised the short duration of the session. Samajwadi Party’s Ramgopal Yadav and CPI M leader John Brittas also said the government must allow a discussion on SIR to avoid disruption. Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee said his party was ready to cooperate if the treasury benches showed the same approach.
He claimed 40 people have lost their lives during SIR related work and alleged that the exercise is aimed at deleting votes.
The session, the first after the NDA’s victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, is expected to see sharp exchanges as both sides prepare for a busy legislative schedule.
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