New Delhi [India], August 5 : Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Monday strongly criticised the central government for allegedly preventing a debate in Parliament on the ongoing Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, calling it a direct attack on the democratic right to vote.
https://x.com/manickamtagore/status/1952341062195835341
In a post on social media platform X, Tagore questioned why the government was blocking a discussion on what he termed "the most fundamental right" -- the right to vote.
He demanded answers from Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, asking why Parliament was being barred from debating issues related to electoral roll revision in Bihar.
Tagore wrote, "Why is Parliament being stopped from discussing the most fundamental right -- the Right to Vote? The Law Minister & Parliamentary Affairs Minister must answer: Why is the Govt blocking discussion on the Statewide Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls -- an issue directly linked to millions of Indian citizens' right to vote?"
He added, "The excuse being given is that we cannot "discuss the functioning of Constitutional Bodies" in the House. But this is FALSE and misleading. There is no such express rule in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha Procedure prohibiting it."
He argued that "Parliament has exercised oversight on Constitutional Bodies" like the Election Commission, noting that EC reports are tabled in Parliament, electoral laws are amended by the legislature, and EC officials have appeared before Parliamentary Committees.
Tagore pointed out that in the past, Parliament has debated topics such as electoral bonds, Aadhaar-voter ID linking, and the appointment of election commissioners without facing procedural objections.
Tagore demanded a discussion on voter list revision, alleging irregularities in Bihar and Karnataka, and emphasizing it as a democracy issue affecting the people.
He wrote, "This time, we are not targeting the EC as an institution. We are demanding a discussion on the manner in which the voter list revision is being done -- how names are being deleted in Bihar, and new ones added in Karnataka. This is a people's issue. A democracy issue."
Congress leader Manickam Tagore questioned the government's silence on voter rights issues, asking who benefits from blocking parliamentary debate on electoral roll revision and accusing the Modi government of trying to hide something.
"When Parliament is not allowed to speak on how people are losing their right to vote -- who benefits from the silence? Why is the Modi Government afraid of a debate? What are they trying to hide? We ask Hon Ministers @KirenRijiju & Arjun Megwal ji : Why are you stopping Parliament from speaking on voting rights? Why block a structured debate on electoral roll revision? Is this the "mother of democracy" or the murder of debate?" Tagore wrote on X.