Parliament Monsoon Session Day 9:

Lok Sabha Passes Vande Mataram Bill, Rajya Sabha Clears Anti-Paper Leak Legislation Amid Fresh Opposition Uproar

Report By Y-Trendz

The ninth sitting day of Parliament's 2026 Monsoon Session on Thursday, July 30, saw two significant legislative pieces cross the finish line even as both Houses continued to be rocked by Opposition

protests over the NEET paper leak controversy, alleged police excesses against student demonstrators, and the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case.

Vande Mataram Bill Passed in Lok Sabha

The headline development of the day came in the Lok Sabha, which passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by voice vote. The legislation makes it a criminal offence to insult the national song Vande Mataram, and Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, who piloted the bill in the Lower House, described it as an important step to bring Vande Mataram to a status on par with the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. Rai used the occasion to criticise previous Congress governments for what he termed appeasement politics, and closed his remarks with a chant of Vande Mataram. Amendments proposed by Opposition members, including DMK's A Raja, were rejected by voice vote, and Raja was seen tearing up documents and hurling them toward the Well of the House in protest. The Rajya Sabha had already cleared the bill a day earlier, on Wednesday, and the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day soon after passage amid continued sloganeering.

The House was adjourned until 11 am on Friday, July 31. Proceedings through the day remained turbulent, with the Lok Sabha adjourned three times amid sustained Opposition protests — the first disruption coming within minutes of the House convening at 11 am over various grievances. Speaker Om Birla attempted to press ahead with Question Hour but was forced to adjourn the House until 2 pm, and again until 3 pm following the laying of parliamentary documents by ministers.

Rajya Sabha Clears Anti-Paper Leak Bill

In the Upper House, the Rajya Sabha took up and passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 — the anti-paper leak legislation that had already cleared the Lok Sabha a day earlier following a marathon, contentious debate. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who introduced the bill in the Rajya Sabha, pushed back against Opposition claims about the scale of examination paper leaks and cited employment generation figures from the current government's tenure compared to the previous Congress-led government, framing the bill as part of a broader governance track record.

The debate, however, was overshadowed by a sharp exchange after Union Minister Giriraj Singh reportedly made remarks while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was addressing the House, triggering Opposition demands for an apology and prompting a fresh uproar in the Upper House.

Opposition Keeps Up Pressure on NEET, Ram Mandir Issues

The political temperature carried over from Wednesday's fiery exchange, when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of authorising police action against student protesters during the July 20 "Chalo Sansad" march, and had alleged that the RSS effectively controls the education ministry. The government side had dismissed those allegations as baseless, with Union Minister Piyush Goyal calling Gandhi's remarks "full of falsehoods" and BJP MPs demanding an apology.

Samajwadi Party MPs kept up a separate protest within the Parliament complex over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, carrying placards with slogans demanding accountability. Party MP Dimple Yadav criticised the government's handling of the matter, arguing that the Special Investigation Team set up to probe the case was merely a formality intended to deflect public attention. Congress also renewed its call in the Rajya Sabha for an independent audit of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's accounts and functioning.

Meanwhile, BJP MPs staged their own protest within the Parliament complex, demanding the resignation of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren over an alleged paper leak linked to the Jharkhand Public Service Commission.

With two significant bills passed within 24 hours of each other, the government notched legislative wins even as floor coordination between the Treasury and Opposition benches remained fractious. Both Houses are scheduled to reconvene on Friday, July 31, with further business, including unresolved Opposition demands for a full discussion on the events of July 20, still pending.