New Delhi, July 23: The Monsoon Session of Parliament remained paralyzed for the third consecutive day on Wednesday as the Opposition ramped up protests against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, alleging large-scale irregularities and voter disenfranchisement.

Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned twice during the day, with proceedings halted until 2 p.m. amid persistent sloganeering and protests led by the INDIA bloc. Senior leaders from the Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, and Shiv Sena (UBT) staged a symbolic demonstration at Parliament’s Makar Dwar dressed in black to mark their dissent. Among the participants were Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, SP MP Jaya Bachchan, and Deputy Congress Leader Gaurav Gogoi.

The BJP-led NDA accused the Opposition of orchestrating “deliberate chaos” to derail legislative business. “The INDIA bloc has turned Parliament into a battleground of chaos,” Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters. “Out of 20 listed questions yesterday, 11 were related to rural and farmer issues, yet the Opposition didn’t let even one be addressed. They preach democracy outside but obstruct it inside.”

LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Chirag Paswan echoed this view, accusing the Opposition of double standards. “They went to the Election Commission complaining about bogus voters. Now when the EC is acting on those complaints, they’re protesting. This has happened before in Indian electoral history—what’s changed now?” he questioned.

Despite the din, the government introduced six key bills, including the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aim to bring institutional reforms and boost athlete welfare.

Opposition leaders remained defiant. MP Dimple Yadav said, “The timing of the SIR—right before Bihar polls—is suspicious. It feels like a calculated move by the Centre, especially with no transparency from the Election Commission.” She also accused the government of avoiding serious national issues like the Pahalgam terror attack and lapses in Operation Sindoor.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi called out the government’s “selective silence” in the face of critical matters. “This is the first session since the Pahalgam attack and amid disenfranchisement concerns in Bihar, but the government is avoiding serious discussion.”

BJP MP Dharmshila Gupta strongly defended the SIR exercise, claiming it is weeding out “illegal voters from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and among the Rohingyas” from Bihar’s rolls. “The Opposition is rattled because people in Bihar have rejected their corrupt leadership. Their protests stem from desperation,” she asserted.

Actor-turned-politicians Hema Malini and Arun Govil also condemned the disruptions, calling them disrespectful to Parliament and a waste of taxpayers’ money. “Shameful behaviour,” said Govil, while Malini suggested that such conduct warrants disciplinary action.

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh, however, maintained that the revision’s timing was politically motivated. “Why is the SIR being conducted only in Bihar and not before the Lok Sabha elections? The intent is clear—that’s why we’re opposing it,” he said.