West Bengal Assembly Debate Halted: Electoral Roll Revision Sparks Controversy

The West Bengal assembly session on Thursday was marked by intense political exchanges over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Speaker Biman Banerjee ruled out discussing the matter, noting its current status as sub judice before the Supreme Court. The issue is a contentious point amid upcoming assembly elections.

The ruling Trinamool Congress had pushed for a debate on the SIR process, citing it as a source of widespread voter harassment as elections draw near. However, the Speaker maintained that discussions would be limited to the governor's address, as the issue remains unresolved judicially.

The opposition, led by Suvendu Adhikari, criticized the last-minute changes in the Business Advisory Committee's resolution, claiming the government tried to avoid discussing SIR. State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shovandeb Chattopadhyay, with support from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, proposed a resolution blaming the SIR exercise for voter distress. The Speaker, however, stood firm, dismissing the proposal against the backdrop of an impending assembly election.