Intense Parliamentary Debate on Electoral Reforms; Amit Shah to Respond at 5 PM

New Delhi: The debate over electoral reforms continues in Parliament, with opposition and ruling parties exchanging sharp arguments. Today, Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to address the House and present the government’s stand on the issue. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed via social media that Shah will speak in the Lok Sabha around 5 PM.

Opposition Raises Key Concerns

During Tuesday’s proceedings, opposition leaders criticized the government for its handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, alleging it undermines voter rights. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded major reforms, emphasizing three key areas:

1. Preventing Vote Theft: Gandhi called vote theft the “biggest anti-national act,” arguing that destroying votes undermines the very concept of India.
2. Transparency Measures: He demanded that machine-readable voter lists be published at least one month before elections and called for the repeal of laws allowing deletion of CCTV footage.
3. Opposition Oversight: Gandhi urged that opposition parties have access to EVMs and that the Chief Justice be involved in appointing election commissioners.

SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav Raises SIR Concerns

Akhilesh Yadav, leader of the Samajwadi Party, also criticized the SIR process, highlighting the risks faced by booth-level officers. He stated that 10 BLOs in Uttar Pradesh have lost their lives while implementing the system. Yadav demanded that the families of deceased BLOs receive Rs 1 crore compensation and that one family member be offered a government job.

Government Prepares Response

Earlier, Kiren Rijiju took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, stating, “I expected concrete suggestions from him, but we were all disappointed. Parliamentary time is precious, and the nation expects a better speech from the opposition leader.”

The eyes of the nation are now on Amit Shah’s remarks this evening, which are expected to conclude the parliamentary debate on electoral reforms and outline the government’s position on proposed changes.