Changes to the electoral laws to allow linking of the Aadhaar card to the voter I-card were passed in the Lok Sabha today amid massive opposition protests against the "Election Laws (Amendment) Bill". Opposition parties said the move to allow the seeding of the Aadhaar card with one's voter ID or electoral card could lead to more non-citizens voting in the country.
Parliament sessions continued to be disrupted amid Opposition protests demanding the dismissal of Union Minister Ajay Mishra and the reinstatement of 12 suspended MPs.
In light of the ongoing chaos, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu called a meeting to find a solution and "maintain peace and smooth functioning during House proceedings".
However, the government's efforts to initiate back-channel talks to resolve the ongoing impasse in Parliament hit a wall, as Opposition parties decided not to attend.
The Opposition protests center both the 12 members of parliament who were penalized for "unruly behaviour" in the Monsoon Session, as well as Ajay Mishra, whose son, Ashish Mishra, is the primary accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that saw death of eight people, including four protesting farmers.
