On December 1 in New Delhi, the Winter Session of the Lok Sabha was rocked by a sharp attack from Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan, who blasted the opposition for derailing parliamentary proceedings and called their tactics a “flawed approach.” The chaotic day began when opposition MPs raised accusations of “vote chori” in the newly‑concluded Bihar Assembly elections and slammed the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in several states and union territories. Their vocal protests forced the Parliament to be adjourned until 2 p.m.
Paswan warned that the uproar was messing with democratic norms and that many members of the opposition itself would not support such obstruction. Speaking to LatestNewsX, he said, “Dialogue is not being allowed, and an environment of obstruction is being created. This is against the tradition of a proper democracy. You (Opposition) also have MPs in your party, people who want to voice their opinions, and many of them, if you talk to them, would not agree with the way obstructions are being carried out.” He added that while “During question hour, they have to raise their issues,” creating such a blockade goes against democratic tradition, and that if the Opposition’s only aim is noise, then it is a flawed approach.
After a brief, heated session that began at 11 a.m., the House reconvened at noon. Within minutes, Opposition MPs rushed to the front, shouts of “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor!” and placards demanding an immediate discussion on what they called a “conspiracy to delete genuine voters” through the SIR exercise. Deputy Speaker Sandhya Rai, who presided, repeatedly urged members to return to their seats and assured the House that none of the more than 20 adjournment motion notices submitted by the Opposition had been rejected by the Speaker, stressing that the issues could be addressed if the Commons was allowed to function. Her calls, however, were largely ignored amid the escalating din. When calm failed to return, she warned that she would be forced to adjourn the House and asked, “Why do you not want to run the zero hour?” Finally, she stepped away and announced a recess until 2 p.m.
With the Opposition determined not to let the day go past the debate on alleged electoral malpractice, and the government side intent on advancing legislative business, the 2025 Winter Session appears headed for a series of confrontations. sd/rad
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