New Delhi, Aug 12: Defying opposition protests, the government on Tuesday pushed through its legislative agenda, securing the passage of six bills in Parliament before a five-day Independence Day recess.
In a major development, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced a three-member panel to probe allegations against Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma in the “cash-at-home” row, initiating impeachment proceedings after admitting a multi-party removal notice signed by 146 MPs, including Ravi Shankar Prasad and Rahul Gandhi.
In the Lok Sabha, two bills – The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill and The Indian Ports Bill – were passed after brief debates despite raucous opposition protests over Bihar’s electoral roll revision. Tempers flared as opposition members tore papers and hurled them at the Chair, drawing sharp condemnation from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who accused them of lowering the House’s dignity. Jagdambika Pal, presiding at the time, named Gaurav Gogoi for instigating the disruption.
In the Rajya Sabha, opposition members staged a walkout, after which the House passed four bills – The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, along with two money bills, The Income Tax Bill and The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill. The latter were returned to the Lok Sabha after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s reply.
Sitharaman also introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, recommending its referral to a select committee for detailed examination.
The Speaker’s inquiry panel on Justice Varma will include Supreme Court Judge Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, and veteran advocate B V Acharya. Justice Varma was transferred to the Allahabad High Court after burnt currency wads were found at his Delhi residence on March 14 following a fire.
Separately, the Joint Committee of Parliament examining simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections received an extension until the first day of the last week of the Winter Session to submit its report.
The Monsoon Session, which began on July 21, is scheduled to end on August 21. Both Houses will reconvene on August 18 after the break.
