TMC to raise voter ID duplication issue in Parliament's Budget Session: Derek O'Brien

New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) will raise the issue of voter ID number duplication in the second half of Parliament's Budget Session that starts on Monday, party leader Derek O'Brien said.

He has also accused the government of suppressing dissent in Parliament.

In a blog post published on Thursday, O'Brien, TMC's parliamentary party leader in Rajya Sabha, said several opposition parties have conveyed that they want to take up a discussion on issues related to the home ministry first.

"The second part of the Budget Session of Parliament begins in a few days (March 10). The first part of the Session, last month, faced significant setbacks, marked by legislative inertia, procedural neglect and a weakening of institutional norms – trends that should concern every citizen," O'Brien said in the blogpost.

He said the issue of duplication of voter ID numbers will be raised on the floor of Parliament. The matter was taken up by TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last week in the state.

The party leaders have said while the Election Commission of India (EC) has admitted the error, it is not accepting it. The TMC has also sought an in-depth probe into the matter.

O'Brien stressed that it is not a "minor clerical error".

"Another issue that is bound to play out on the floor of Parliament is the Election Commission of India's alleged involvement in voter ID duplication. This is not a minor clerical error, it is a serious matter having a bearing on free and fair elections," he said.

He said the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number is linked to voter details and a duplicate EPIC number will lead to denial of voting rights. The EC needs to disclose how many duplicate EPICs exist within the system and how they got assigned, he added.

"Why is the EC still unable to ensure unique EPIC numbers for every voter?" he said.

As the Upper House is set to discuss the working of four ministries -- Home Affairs, Education, Railways, Health and Family Welfare -- the TMC leader said he would be "pleasantly surprised" if all four ministries were discussed.

"Many parties in the opposition have conveyed their preference to take up the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the Home Ministry before any other," he said.

He also said the essence of Parliament lies in its ability to legislate effectively but in the first three sessions of the 18th Lok Sabha, both Houses combined have passed just four bills – the lowest in history. The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, which repealed the Aircraft Act of 1934, is the only non-Budget bill to be passed, he added.

"When compared to the first three sessions of Parliament since 1950, this has been the lowest number of bills passed by both Houses in the history of Parliament. Unbelievable," he said.

He said Lok Sabha also passed the Supplementary Demand for Grants (SDGs) for which a discussion was not held in Rajya Sabha even though five hours had been allocated for the debate.

"Thus, Rs 45,000 crore of additional public money was spent without even seeking suggestions from the Council of States."

The TMC leader also mentioned the redaction of dissent notes in the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the absence of a Deputy Speaker in Lok Sabha.

"Two hundred and fifty days into the 18th Lok Sabha, there is still no Deputy Speaker. New Session, same old habits. Mr. Narendra Modi, Sir: Who Cares About Parliament?" he said.

The first half of the Budget Session was held from January 31 to February 13. The second half starts on Monday and will conclude on April 4.