NEW DELHI, Aug 12: Both Houses of Parlaiment –Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha – adjourned today till August 18 after wrapping up key legislative business amid vocal protests by the Opposition over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.
Before adjourning, the Lower House passed two important bills without debate – the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025 and the Indian Ports Bill, 2025. The latter aims to consolidate port-related laws, promote integrated port development, facilitate ease of doing business, and ensure optimal utilization of India’s coastline. However, the passage took place amid noisy protests from Opposition members raising concerns over Bihar’s voter roll revision process.
The Lok Sabha also referred the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to a select committee for further scrutiny.
In a significant move, the House constituted a three-member committee under the Judges’ Inquiry Act, 1968, to investigate allegations against Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma. The committee comprises Supreme Court Justice Arvind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava, and Senior Advocate B.V. Acharya from the Karnataka High Court. Speaker Om Birla assured that the committee would submit its report at the earliest and that the removal proposal against Justice Varma will remain pending until then.
The Upper House passed the National Sports Governance Bill and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill amid persistent disruptions by the Opposition, who demanded a debate on the Bihar electoral roll revision.
During the post-lunch session, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya moved both bills for consideration and passage. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise the issue of the SIR in Bihar but was countered by Leader of the House JP Nadda, who accused the former of attempting to derail proceedings by bringing irrelevant matters. This led to heated exchanges and a walkout by Opposition members.
Indian Olympic Association President and Rajya Sabha nominated member P.T. Usha expressed her strong support for the National Sports Governance Bill, stating it would break the “decades of stagnant status quo” and usher in transparency and accountability in India’s sports administration. She described the day as one of “immense personal and national significance.”
AAP MP Sanjay Singh moved a suspension of business notice under Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha, demanding a discussion on alleged constitutional and electoral issues related to Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision. Singh highlighted that the process requires “documents of a tough nature” from approximately eight crore voters, posing difficulties for migrant workers, students, and economically weaker sections ahead of the 2025 assembly elections.
Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala also submitted a notice under Rule 267, urging the suspension of the House’s scheduled business to discuss concerns over the integrity of India’s electoral processes. Surjewala claimed that vulnerable communities are being excluded from electoral rolls without adequate safeguards, transparency, or due process. He called for urgent parliamentary deliberations on the issue.
Besides the removal motion against Justice Varma, both Houses witnessed sustained protests from Opposition members demanding a discussion on Bihar’s voter roll revision. (UNI)
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