New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced a slew of important Bills before the Lok Sabha just before the adjournment of the House till 2 pm on the very first day of the winter session. The Bills include the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025, aimed at ensuring no reduction in tax on "sin goods" like tobacco and pan masala, after abolition of the GST Compensation Cess. She also moved the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace an existing ordinance.
However, protests from the opposition quickly overtook the legislative momentum. Congress MP K.C. Venugopal moved an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha, strongly objecting to the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ordered by the Election Commission. Terming the process “arbitrary and ill-planned,” Venugopal’s notice said the exercise had put insurmountable pressure on Booth Level Officers (BLOs), resulted in multiple deaths, and caused large-scale anxiety among citizens. The opposition contended that such mismanagement erodes both democratic integrity and public trust.
Even as the session began on a formal and respectful note, political tension quickly rose. The veteran opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge referred to the “sudden exit” of the former Vice-President from office, a remark that provoked strong backlash from ruling party chief J.P. Nadda.
The Lok Sabha saw repeated adjournments, with the latest one till 2 PM as protests over the SIR exercise intensified. Thus, the first day of the Winter Session saw a mix of legislative action and loud resistance, setting the tone for what promises to be a turbulent session ahead.
While Om Birla remained the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, newly elected Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan presided over the Rajya Sabha for the first time, making it a dramatic feature of the opening day of the session.