The Opposition’s Bihar Fixation

The Election Commission’s (EC) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar that has identified 65 lakh voters who are untraceable, have moved residence or failed to submit verification documents has predictably become part of secular versus Hindutva politics. Nothing else can explain the I.N.D.I.A. bloc’s targeting of EC. I.N.D.I.A. sees voter verification as an assault on its vote bank since the SIR exercise demands proof of citizenship that likely impacts illegal voters from Bangladesh and Rohingya immigrants. The sharp exchanges between NDA and the Opposition during the discussion on Operation Sindoor served to highlight this, with JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ responding to Congress MP Mohammad Jawed’s repeated heckling with the observation: “You have got a lot of false voters registered… sit down.” Jawed represents Kishanganj. The alleged presence of illegal voters has always been an issue here with BJP claiming a demographic invasion. All members of I.N.D.I.A., whether Congress, SP, RJD, DMK, NCP, Trinamool Congress, and now even the Shiv Sena (Uddhav), seek the support of Muslim voters and feel an aggressive posture against SIR goes down well with the community.

Otherwise, they would have pivoted to US President Donald Trump’s decision to levy unprecedented tariffs adding up to 50 per cent on Indian goods. The issue is very relevant to exporters and can have serious implications for India’s GDP but has left the Opposition uninterested.

Discordant Beats

While the noise over the use of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel as marshals in Rajya Sabha is yet to die down, the intrusive tactics of Opposition MPs are taking on new dimensions. Holding placards before MPs and ministers called on to speak by presiding officers has been a way to disrupt proceedings. But recently, a few MPs were seen banging the wooden front of the Speaker’s podium in Lok Sabha’s well, prompting TDP’s Krishna Prasad Tenneti to observe the façade was not a dhol (drum) for MPs to beat. So far, no leader from the Congress benches has asked MPs to refrain from creating a racket by banging the podium.

Sporting Chance

Lok Sabha was silent for a while on August 11 as the I.N.D.I.A. bloc was away after protesting against the Election Commission outside Parliament. This provided an opportunity to Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who had been waiting to move the National Sports Governance Bill and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill since the start of the Monsoon Session. Doping is a major issue in tournaments. The Governance Bill is intended to ensure India is in line with the International Olympic Committee’s guidelines for accountability of sport bodies.

Setting a Fine Example

While Parliament has been disrupted, some standing committees have been busy without getting mired in political grandstanding. A committee that has been remarkably productive is the one dealing with finance headed by senior BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, who was formerly with BJD. Mahtab has tabled several reports and on August 11 presented one on the Competition Commission of India. Mahtab is also a member of the joint parliamentary committee on ‘one nation, one election’. known for his cerebral interventions, the soft-spoken MP takes his parliamentary duties seriously.

Targeting Community Dogs

The Supreme Court’s poorly considered order directing authorities in Delhi-NCR to yank community dogs off the roads and put them into shelters is shocking. Not only are there no shelters for thousands of dogs, the solution is draconian and betrays a complete lack of understanding of the problem. The real culprits are civic agencies who cannot keep streets clean and ensure garbage mounds do not become feeding zones of dogs, cattle, pigs and rodents. But then community dogs are easy targets.

A Picnic in Parliament

Some MPs seem to see the protests in Parliament more as campus sloganeering rather than measures that should be used sparingly. Some MPs turn paper placards into mock megaphones. Younger MPs, in particular, appear to see the protests as a daily distraction that does not take much effort or thought. Sitting through discussions and preparing for interventions is a more arduous task. As the MPs will realise over time, parliamentary performance is judged by speeches and the quality of questions put to the government.

Streamlining Income Tax

The revised Income Tax Bill, 2025, which is aligned with the recommendations of the select committee of Lok Sabha that examined the legislation, was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 11. BJP leader Jay Panda, who headed the committee, said the new draft reduces the word count of the Bill by half and a good many of suggestions have been accepted by the government. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman withdrew the older Bill last week. The new Bill holds out hope for easier and more transparent interpretation of income tax rules that, despite simplification, can be onerous to follow.

Bhartruhari MahtabBiharCISFElection Commissionelectoral rollsKrishna Prasad TennetiMansukh MandaviyaNirmala SitharamanSpecial Intensive Revision (SIR)