Published Jul 30, 2026 | 5:14 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 30, 2026 | 5:18 PM
Mallikarjun Kharge speaks in Rajya Sabha (Photo| Screenshot/ Sansad TV)
Synopsis: The Lok Sabha passed the National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, granting ‘Vande Mataram’ the same statutory protection as that of the national anthem. The Bill was passed amid criticism from Opposition parties, who called it an attempt to divide the people. Rajya Sabha took up the anti-paper leak bill for discussion. Mallikarjun Kharge invoked Manusmriti to say the BJP-led government’s education policies are discriminatory towards the poor and oppressed castes, triggering protests.
The Lok Sabha on Thursday, 30 July, passed the National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing to bring national song ‘Vande Mataram’ under the same statutory protection granted to the national anthem, the Constitution and the national flag. The Bill was passed amid criticism from the Opposition, including the Congress and DMK, which called it a move to divide people and disrupt the secular fabric of the country.
Speaking during a debate on the Bill in Lok Sabha, a day after it was passed by the Rajya Sabha, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi called it a disrespect to the people of Tamil Nadu.
“You’re disrespecting the Tamil people by bringing this Bill… This Bill divides people across the country. DMK opposes the Bill,” Kanimozhi said.
The Bill was passed after the LS resumed business at 3:30 pm, after being adjourned till 2 pm amid Opposition protests, immediately after it commenced on Thursday.
The Opposition MPs also staged a protest outside Parliament, holding a banner which said “who gave the order?” referring to its demand for accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police violence against student protesters on July 20.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Manish Tiwari submitted an adjournment motion notice in the lower House to discuss the newly proposed anti-defection law.
In his notice, he sought the adjournment of the House proceedings to discuss “the contours of a new Anti-Defection Law that proscribes Mass Political Defections driven by opportunism and bereft of any genuine ideological or policy differences while simultaneously providing space for honest and critical dissent both inside and outside Parliament and the legislatures.”
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The Rajya Sabha on Thursday witnessed a stormy session as the House took up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 for discussion.
The Bill was introduced in the RS by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who described the amendments as a testimony to the government’s zero tolerance towards exam paper leaks and its willingness to “lsfearn from experience” after the implementation of the 2024 anti-paper leak law. The minister informed the House that 52 FIRs had been registered since the original law came into force and suicides linked to paper leaks had declined. As the minister attempted to list the incidents of paper leaks in the country, the Opposition erupted in protest.
During the debate on the Bill, Leader of the House JP Nadda and Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge got into a heated discussion.
Speaking in the RS, Kharge criticised the BJP-led Union Government’s education policies and alleged that it has made education increasingly inaccessible to the poor. He also alleged that key positions in universities were being filled by people associated with the RSS.
Alleging that the government was making changes to the school and university curricula, Kharge read out a few lines from Manusmriti to argue that it promoted caste discrimination and implied that the government was adopting it in its policies.
This triggered a protest from the Treasury Bench with JP Nadda asking Kharge to “authenticate his statement.” He claimed that what the Congress leader said was “far from the truth” and could send a wrong message across the country.
“We are listening to the Leader of the Opposition peacefully, and in a democracy, it is the government’s responsibility to do so. But I request the Leader of the Opposition not to speak in a fit of rage or use unparliamentary language. The sentence he has just used is unparliamentary and should be removed from the proceedings. He should avoid making such remarks in an emotional state…” he said.
As the protests from NDA MPs continued, Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan intervened and ruled that Kharge’s remarks relating to Manusmriti would not form part of the official record.
Earlier, speaking on the anti-paper leak Bill, Kharge stated that merely increasing penalties or setting up fast-track courts would not solve the issues affecting the examinations.
“You have just changed the figures in the Public Examination Amendment Bill 2026 which has come here for discussion. In this bill, only the figures kept changing. Nothing is going to happen with that. You have included provisions like higher fines, harsher punishment, special task force, fast track courts etc. This is not going to make any difference. It will make a difference as to how you will conduct this examination and how you will prepare without paper leak, it depends on that…” he said.
“We have been requesting to strengthen the anti-paper leak bill since 2024, but the government did not listen to us,” Kharge added.
(Compiled by Fayisa CA)
