New Delhi: Amid speculation surrounding Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar's surprise resignation on Monday night, the second day of the monsoon session saw a washout with repeated adjournments as the government “refused” to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Opposition members, who held protests against the SIR both outside and inside the parliament, said that the government had refused to discuss the contentious revision exercise while their demands for a discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor had not been granted a specific date.

“Today, both Houses of Parliament had to be adjourned because the Modi Govt refused a discussion on votebandi being orchestrated in Bihar and other states by the EC,” said Congress MP and the party’s general secretary communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh.

“In addition, the Modi Govt has still not clarified when exactly the discussion on Pahalgam-Sindoor will begin in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, and whether the PM will reply,” Ramesh added.

The government on the other hand accused the opposition of not allowing the house to function. Union minister for parliamentary affairs Kiren Rijiju said that the government is ready for a discussion but the matter has to be taken up by the Business Advisory Committee first.

Before the beginning of the proceedings for the day, members of the INDIA bloc – including leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham MPs Kanimozhi, T.R. Baalu, among others  – protested against the Bihar SIR outside the parliament building. 

Opposition members held placards that read “SIR: Stealing Indians Rights”, “Quit SIR”, “SIR: Subversion of Indian Republic” and raised slogans against the ongoing exercise.

Prior to this, INDIA bloc leaders held a meeting in which Congress MP and general secretary K.C. Venugopal said that it was decided that they would “press for the PM’s presence in the House to answer questions on pressing issues” including “Pahalgam terror attack, ⁠Operation Sindoor and Donald Trump’s statements on the ceasefire, ⁠Bihar SIR Process, ⁠delimitation, growing atrocities against Dalits, Adivasis, Backward classes and women, ⁠AI 171 plane crash, Manipur Civil War.”

When the proceedings began in the Lok Sabha, opposition members raised slogans and demanded a discussion on the SIR.

Rijiju said that the government had agreed to a 16-hour discussion on Operation Sindoor, and will finalise the Rule under which the discussion will take place. He did not, however, specify when the discussion will be held and accused the opposition of not allowing the House to function.

“By using banners and posters they are disturbing the House. This is condemnable. We are ready for a discussion but they are not allowing [us]. Then why are they not allowing the House to function? This double standard is wrong. If you want [a] discussion, then do not create ruckus. The government has said that we are ready for [a] discussion. You are wasting public money. We come prepared for [the] discussion but you are wasting time. I want to condemn the Congress party and its allies," said Rijiju.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned three times and functioned for a total of 20 minutes. The Rajya Sabha on the other hand functioned for only seven minutes.

No mention was made of Dhankhar’s resignation except by deputy chairman Harivansh, who met President Droupadi Murmu later in the day, informing the Rajya Sabha that a vacancy had occurred in the office of the Vice President and further processes will be informed.

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