BJP, Congress Engage in Heated Debate Over Electoral Reforms in Lok Sabha

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A dramatic showdown unfolded in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi clashed over electoral reforms. The heated exchange, sparked by discussions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saw both sides trading barbs and accusations. Congress leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi and Supriya Shrinate, accused Shah of reading from a script and failing to address their concerns. They questioned why the Home Minister did not take action against undocumented migrants during the Lok Sabha polls. In response, Shah defended SIR, stating that it aimed to weed out infiltrators from the voter rolls. However, Congress leaders countered that the voter list was not as 'polluted' as Shah claimed, citing the removal of over 88,000 infiltrators during the UPA regime. The debate took a chaotic turn as the Opposition staged a walkout, prompting BJP leaders to condemn their actions. Tejasvi Surya described it as 'utterly shameful' that Rahul Gandhi led the walkout while Shah was answering their questions. The exchange drew praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders, who lauded Shah's speech as 'outstanding' for its concrete facts and exposure of the Opposition's lies. Union Minister Piyush Goyal defended SIR, stating that the voter list was being made 'transparent and clean' through the exercise. He accused the Opposition of lacking public support and possessing popularity among infiltrators. The debate is set to continue, with both sides dug in on their positions. As the Parliament winter session heats up, the SIR drama is likely to remain a dominant theme in the proceedings.