Parliament debate on SIR: Congress MP Manish Tiwari raises questions on ECI's mandate to conduct SIR

New Delhi, Dec. 9 -- Congress MP Manish Tiwari initiated a sharp and pivotal debate in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Opening the discussion on SIR, which has been marked by a week of vigorous Opposition protests, Tiwari criticised the neutrality and legal authority of the Election Commission to conduct the contentious SIR exercise. He questioned the ECI's mandate, stating, "The Election Commission of India has no legal justification to hold SIR," and called for immediate reforms to restore trust in the electoral process.

Tiwari proposed a fundamental overhaul of the Election Commission's selection mechanism, urging an amendment to the law to ensure balanced representation. His recom...