The political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has intensified after Union Home Minister Amit Shah challenged Rahul Gandhi to debate the issue in a special session of Parliament.
Responding to Shah’s offer, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the government should first take concrete steps to address the Opposition’s concerns, including securing the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and suspending the ongoing SIR exercise.
Jairam Ramesh Questions Amit Shah’s Stand
Ramesh accused Shah of taking a different position on the issue compared with the Opposition’s earlier demand for a parliamentary discussion. He recalled that during the previous Monsoon Session, the government had argued that SIR was a matter under the Election Commission’s authority.
The Congress leader questioned why the Home Minister was now offering a parliamentary debate after previously resisting an Opposition-led discussion.
Congress Seeks Suspension of SIR
The party has made the suspension of SIR one of its key demands. Congress leaders have repeatedly raised concerns about the electoral-roll revision process, alleging that it could affect eligible voters.
The demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation is also part of the party’s broader campaign questioning the Election Commission’s handling of the exercise. These remain political allegations and demands, not established findings.
Delimitation Becomes Another Point of Disagreement
Ramesh also raised concerns about the government’s proposed delimitation Bills. He said the Opposition had not been given sufficient information about the proposals and called for their details to be shared in advance.
He further demanded an all-party meeting so that political parties could discuss the possible changes and their implications before the government moves forward.
Amit Shah Challenges Rahul Gandhi
The Congress response followed Shah’s challenge to Rahul Gandhi to debate SIR, electronic voting machines and allegations of electoral irregularities in Parliament.
Speaking during a BJP march in Hyderabad, Shah said the government was ready to convene a special session for the discussion. He also criticised the INDIA bloc’s recent Delhi rally, questioning the Opposition’s claims about voting irregularities.
Shah argued that the Congress’s electoral victories in states such as Telangana raised questions about its criticism of EVMs.
Electoral Roll Dispute Continues to Dominate Politics
The latest exchange has added another chapter to the growing political dispute over voter-list revisions and the Election Commission. While the BJP has defended the SIR process and called for a parliamentary debate, the Congress is insisting that its concerns be addressed before such a discussion takes place.
Whether the government convenes a special session remains to be seen. For now, the disagreement over SIR, the CEC’s position and the proposed delimitation exercise continues to shape the political debate between the ruling party and the Opposition.
