New Delhi, Dec 10 (NationPress) The Lok Sabha was thrown into turmoil on Wednesday during an intense discussion on election reforms, as Home Minister Amit Shah brought up a recent notice from a Delhi court concerning former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. This notice pertains to allegations that her name was fraudulently registered on the electoral rolls three years prior to her obtaining Indian citizenship in 1983.

The uproar began when HM Shah interjected in the ongoing debate, pointing to the court's directive for Gandhi and the Delhi Police to address a criminal revision petition. The Home Minister insisted he was simply reporting a factual occurrence: "The Delhi court has indeed issued a notice to Sonia Gandhi regarding a petition claiming her name appeared in the electoral rolls of New Delhi before she officially gained Indian citizenship."

This statement, made to emphasize the necessity for electoral integrity amidst opposition claims of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being a form of 'vote theft,' immediately incited a backlash from Congress members.

Congress General Secretary and MP KC Venugopal, utilizing Rule 352 to voice his protest, quickly rose to challenge the Home Minister, accusing him of misleading Parliament. Venugopal stated, "Sonia Gandhi has not even cast her vote and the Rouse Avenue Court dismissed that case due to lack of evidence. Can you prove it?" He branded the Home Minister's comments as "misleading, defamatory, and mere diversionary tactics."

He questioned the appropriateness of raising this issue in the House, arguing it detracted from the genuine discussion at hand. Members from the Treasury benches responded vigorously, with BJP MPs demanding that Congress provide evidence that Gandhi had not voted prior to 1983, while asserting the topic was of significant public interest, deserving of debate.

"This is not defamation; I am not claiming the matter has been resolved. The court has issued a notice, and Mrs. Gandhi must address it. After that, I will return to inform further. It’s about transparency in voter lists, which the opposition is advocating for," HM Shah commented.

The opposition accused the NDA of weaponizing historical controversies to deflect from the real issues surrounding SIR, which they argue disproportionately removes names of Dalits, tribals, and migrants.

Speaker Om Birla fought to restore order as both sides exchanged heated remarks.

Earlier, HM Shah set the tone by expressing disappointment over the opposition's unwillingness to participate constructively. "During the initial days of the Winter Session, the House was chaotic, signaling to the public our disinterest in this discussion. BJP and NDA are always open to debates," he remarked.

Addressing the impasse regarding SIR, the Home Minister provided two main reasons for initial hesitance: "First, SIR is managed by the Election Commission; they function independently, not under government directives. When the opposition sought a broader discussion on electoral reforms, we readily agreed." HM Shah defended SIR as vital for ensuring clean, credible elections, drawing comparisons to successful implementations in Bihar.