The latest meeting between the Union government and Opposition parties on holding a discussion over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ended without progress, deepening tensions inside Parliament.
Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju met leaders from the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party, DMK, CPI(M), and AAP on Tuesday. While he assured that the SIR discussion will take place, he made it clear that the Opposition cannot dictate the timeline.
Opposition parties, however, said the government offered no clarity or commitment. TMC’s Derek O’Brien stated that they had asked for an announcement confirming an SIR discussion in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, followed by the Rajya Sabha, but the government declined. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh added that the “trust deficit” between the two sides continues to grow.
In the Rajya Sabha, lawmakers from TMC, Congress, and DMK entered the Well, raising slogans for an assurance on when the debate would be taken up. They highlighted that 28 Block Level Officers involved in the SIR exercise have died, underscoring the urgency of the issue.
The Opposition also criticised Rajya Sabha chairman CP Radhakrishnan for not reading out the names of MPs whose notices under Rule 267 were rejected. Traditionally, the Chair reads out these names and the issues they seek to raise when business suspension notices are not admitted.
According to an Opposition leader, the government is keen to prioritise a discussion on Vande Mataram’s 150th anniversary before taking up SIR, effectively pushing the SIR debate to next week when less time may be available.