Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has raised serious concerns over what he described as the gradual erosion of Parliament’s relevance, warning that reduced sittings and avoidance of substantive debates pose a grave threat to Indian democracy. Speaking to the media, Sibal said the legislature is increasingly being sidelined, with critical national issues pushed aside in favour of topics he termed irrelevant to present-day governance.

Sibal pointed out that Parliament is meeting less frequently, limiting opportunities for meaningful discussion and accountability. He argued that the real purpose of Parliament — to debate issues affecting citizens and to question the government — is being undermined. According to him, this trend reflects an apparent lack of concern among those in power for parliamentary institutions.

The senior advocate and former Union minister said the Opposition had demanded a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process on December 1, calling it one of the most important issues facing the country today. He alleged that the government deliberately avoided the discussion to prevent scrutiny of the Election Commission’s actions, which he claimed were carried out under political influence.

Criticising the focus on ideological debates, Sibal questioned the relevance of raising issues such as “Vande Mataram” in Parliament. He asked whether organisations like the RSS or even the BJP begin their internal meetings with the song, arguing that such discussions distract from urgent governance matters.

Sibal also took aim at the government’s claims on electoral reforms, asserting that no meaningful reforms have been introduced by the current dispensation. He said that most reforms in the electoral system were implemented by previous governments, and alleged that the present regime has instead misused existing mechanisms.