Centre defends SIR, says the process is based on constitutional framework

The Union authorities connected Monday (December 15, 2025) defended the peculiar intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls successful the Rajya Sabha and said the guiding rule for the workout was cosmopolitan big franchise. During a treatment connected electoral reforms, the Opposition, meanwhile, continued to onslaught the Centre implicit the SIR.

Parliament Winter Session: Follow highlights connected December 15, 2025

Congress person Digvijaya Singh said elections were not being held successful a transparent mode arsenic the BJP wanted to found a ‘fascist state’ without elections. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda said the Opposition would proceed to get defeated successful elections if it tarnished the representation of the Election Commission each time. Senior Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala demanded that the Chief Justice of India proceed to beryllium a portion of the committee to prime the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.

Participating successful the debate, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the SIR was based connected the law model created by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Quoting Dr. Ambedkar, helium said the revision of the voters’ database was based connected the rule of 1 person, 1 vote, which was a large pillar of predetermination reforms. “Our constitution and electoral process is based connected this principle. So, erstwhile nether SIR, the aforesaid is being undertaken to instrumentality retired radical who are not eligible from elector lists, wherefore are they [Opposition parties] opposing it?” the Minister asked, and cited precedence that SIR took spot nether assorted governments earlier.

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Mr. Gowda said each enactment had mislaid elections, but ne'er mocked immoderate Prime Minister oregon nationalist institution. “India is simply a precise large country. A ample country...Remember my friends, please, by utilizing the words ‘vote chori’ you are going to endure successful the coming days,” helium added. “The Election Commission and the Supreme Court are determination to grip these matters. The Election Commission has issued directions to each State units to rectify immoderate issues,” the erstwhile Prime Minister said.

Mr. Surjewala said the SIR was a ‘selective ideological removal’ and added that Dr. Ambedkar had wanted that the EC should not beryllium nether the enforcement and that the close to ballot should beryllium a cardinal right. “The Election Commission which cannot hole a database of voters indiscriminately, specified ‘jebi’ [pocketed] EC should not clasp bureau for adjacent 1 day,” Mr. Surjewala quipped. He added that if voters’ names were removed based connected ideological choices, it would beryllium the past nail successful the coffin of democracy. “The close to ballot cannot beryllium taken distant arsenic voting is the last trial of ideology and bribing up of elections decimates the predetermination process,” the Congress person said.

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Electoral bonds

Taking up the contented of electoral bonds, Mr. Surjewala said the EC did not let a level playing tract successful donations to governmental parties and the BJP utilized the investigating agencies to get donations to the party. Demanding reconstitution of the hunt committee to name the CEC and ECs with Chief Justice arsenic a member, helium said determination would beryllium a level playing tract lone aft reconstitution of the committee. He besides demanded that elections done ballot paper. Till the implementation of this, the Congress MP said each voters should get VVPAT slips to guarantee transparency.

Mr. Digvijaya Singh said the SIR was for establishing a fascist dictatorship successful the state without elections. He demanded removal of the ceiling connected electoral expenses to guarantee transparency successful the predetermination process. He said elections successful Karnataka, Haryana, and Maharashtra were not held successful transparent manner. On the SIR, the Congress person added that canvass officers were seeking respective documents to beryllium citizenship. “We are being questioned regarding citizenship... matriculation certificate is being demanded from voters... whether citizenship is being ascertained oregon a elector database is being prepared? When the Election Commission carries retired summary revision 4 times a year, past what is the request for the SIR?,” helium asked.