As the Winter Session of Parliament began on Monday, the Lok Sabha witnessed repeated adjournments amid sloganeering and protests by Opposition MPs demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the country.
The House was first adjourned by Speaker Om Birla at around 11:20 am, barely 20 minutes after proceedings began, following persistent disruptions.
Before the adjournment, Birla led members in paying tributes to five former parliamentarians who passed away recently.
Those remembered included Col. Sonaram Choudhary, sitting Congress MP from Barmer; actor and former BJP MP from Bikaner, Dharmendra; Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra (South Delhi); Prakash Jaiswal; and Ravi Kumar Naik (Panaji, Goa).
Birla described Dharmendra as an iconic figure of Indian cinema who later served the nation as a parliamentarian, adding that he would be remembered for generations.
The House also congratulated Indian sportspersons and teams for their recent achievements on the global stage.
When the Lok Sabha reconvened at 12 p.m., protests continued, prompting Presiding Officer Sandhya Rai to admonish Opposition MPs for disrupting proceedings. She adjourned the House again, this time until 2 p.m., after urging members to allow the House to function.
Before the adjournment, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025, along with the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Both were introduced through a voice vote.
BJP MPs also moved several motions seeking extensions for select committee reports.
A BJP MP from Rajahmundry moved to extend the deadline for the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025 report until the last day of the Winter Session; the House approved the motion by voice vote.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya moved to extend the reporting timeline for the Select Committee examining the Jan Vishwas Amendment of Provisions Bill to the last week of the session, which was also passed by voice vote.
Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha, several members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, welcomed Chairman and Vice President CP Radhakrishnan to the Upper House.
PM Modi praised Radhakrishnan’s political and administrative journey, calling him an inspiration for MPs. He assured that members would uphold the dignity of the House and the Chair.
“This is a moment of pride to welcome you and, under your guidance, take important decisions for the nation. On behalf of the House, I congratulate you. I am confident that MPs will maintain the dignity of the Upper House while honouring your position,” the Prime Minister said.
He added that Radhakrishnan’s approach of not being constrained by protocol has strengthened his public life.
CP Radhakrishnan was elected as the 15th Vice President of India after securing 452 votes, defeating Opposition candidate and former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, who received 300 votes.
(With agency inputs)