Parliament witnessed high drama on Monday as opposition MPs raised concerns over alleged voter fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and demanded voter verification.
As soon as the Lok Sabha proceedings began at 11 a.m., opposition members disrupted the House, pressing the issue. Amid the uproar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the new Income Tax Bill (No. 2) 2025 and the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill 2025. Opposition parties demanded a debate on the bills, but Speaker Om Birla ruled that the House was &ldquo;not in order.&rdquo; The bills were then passed through a voice vote.
When proceedings resumed at 2 p.m., Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya presented the National Sports Governance Bill 2025 and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill 2025, both of which were passed without discussion. Mandaviya called them &ldquo;the biggest reforms in Indian sports since independence,&rdquo; while the opposition labeled it &ldquo;silent approval.&rdquo;
In the Rajya Sabha, the Goa Legislative Assembly ST Reservation Bill and three bills related to Manipur were introduced, but opposition protests continued, with MPs shouting slogans and disrupting proceedings.
Opposition&rsquo;s Charge: &lsquo;Attack on Democracy&rsquo; Opposition leaders condemned the process as a betrayal of democratic principles. Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, &ldquo;Bills are being passed under the excuse that the House is not in order. This is the murder of democracy. The Chair and the Leader of the House must answer. Is this respect for democracy?&rdquo;
Kharge demanded extensive debate on the bills to safeguard public interest. Outside Parliament, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi raised the issue during a protest against voter verification, calling the move to pass bills without discussion an example of &ldquo;government dictatorship.&rdquo; Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav also said the process was against democratic values.
Earlier in the day, 300 MPs from the INDIA alliance marched from Parliament to the Election Commission&rsquo;s office, protesting against voter verification and alleged voter fraud. Leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav led the march. During the demonstration, Yadav attempted to jump barricades, while Priyanka Gandhi and other MPs shouted slogans such as &ldquo;Vote chor gaddi chhod&rdquo; (&ldquo;Vote thieves, leave the seat&rdquo;).
Police detained several MPs and took them to the Parliament Street police station, releasing them after two hours.

Parliament Chaos Over Voter Verification Row

Opposition uproar on voter verification; govt clears bills without debate

Parliament Chaos Over Voter Verification Row

Opposition uproar on voter verification; govt clears bills without debate

August 12, 2025 | 02:01 IST