New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS): The Rajya Sabha’s debate on election reforms was briefly halted on Thursday after Union Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that the remaining discussion would continue on Monday at 1 p.m., owing to a scheduled prayer meet in Parliament. Several members had already presented their views, but the minister said the House could not complete the debate within the allotted time.
Rijiju informed members that the discussion would not be taken up on Friday, as the day is reserved for private member bills. Following his announcement, Deputy Chairperson Harivansh Narayan Singh adjourned the House at 4 p.m. till Friday.
The debate on election reforms has emerged as one of the most intense topics of the current session, with opposition MPs raising issues related to voter disenfranchisement, transparency in electoral rolls, and questions over the credibility of the Election Commission. Leaders from the AAP, Congress, and BJP have presented sharply contrasting arguments on the state of India’s democratic processes. While the opposition flagged concerns about arbitrary voter deletions and alleged misuse of central agencies, ruling party MPs defended the electoral framework, citing technological safeguards such as EVMs and voter ID systems.
By shifting the debate to Monday, Rijiju said the aim was to ensure that all members who had prepared interventions get adequate time to speak. The upcoming session is expected to witness further heated exchanges as both sides continue to press their positions on electoral integrity, reforms, and constitutional responsibilities.
