As soon as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman started speaking on the first day of the Winter Session, the opposition jumped into loud protests. MPs began shouting slogans like “vote-chor” and demanded that the government first discuss the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of the voter list.
The noise got so intense that the Speaker had to adjourn the House till 2 pm.
Why was the opposition protesting?
The opposition says the SIR process — basically a revision of the electoral rolls — has serious issues.
They claim it could affect the fairness of elections and that some voter names are being wrongly removed.
So they insisted that no other business should start until this matter is discussed.
What did the government do?
Even in the middle of the uproar, Nirmala Sitharaman still managed to introduce a few bills — including the Manipur GST Amendment Bill, 2025.
But regular business like Question Hour could not continue because of the disturbance.
How both sides reacted:
Opposition’s stand: They say their protest is about protecting democratic rights and ensuring clean elections.
Government’s stand: They accuse the opposition of creating “planned disruptions” to delay Parliament’s work.
What this could mean for the session?
If the first day is any indication, the Winter Session might see more chaos and repeated walkouts.
Bills may still get passed, but with less debate — something the opposition will definitely push back against.
What triggered the ruckus — background?
The country is currently undergoing a massive electoral-roll update exercise: the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), covering a number of states.
Opposition parties demanded that Parliament first debate SIR — arguing that such a far-reaching exercise, with potential impact on voter lists and electoral fairness, needs full discussion.
Many opposition MPs objected to the government’s plan to push ahead with new bills before addressing SIR, suspecting that the roll-revision could disenfranchise or exclude legitimate voters.
Because of that backdrop, as soon as proceedings started on Day 1 of the winter session, tensions were already high.
The clash inside Parliament: what exactly happened
The session began around 11 a.m. on 1 December 2025. Almost immediately, opposition MPs began shouting slogans from the Well — demands included immediate debate on SIR, plus raising concerns about pollution, national security (e.g. a recent blast), and other issues.
The uproar forced the Speaker to adjourn the House — first till 12 noon, and then again until 2 p.m. as chaos continued.
Despite the disruption, during a brief 12-minute window after reconvening, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman moved several bills. These included:
Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 — updating the central excise law.
Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025 — a new cess aimed at revenue from tobacco/pan-masala etc., effectively replacing the old GST compensation cess on these “sin goods.”
