New Delhi, Jul 31: The Lok Sabha on Friday approved the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, with the legislation passing by voice vote amid persistent protests by Opposition members over the alleged police crackdown on students during the July 20 Parliament march.
The bill was taken up for consideration after the House resumed its proceedings at noon under the chairmanship of BJP MP Dilip Saikia. However, the session witnessed continuous sloganeering from Opposition MPs, many of whom entered the Well of the House while demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah address the issue of the police action.
Despite the disruptions, the legislation was cleared without any discussion, prompting criticism from the treasury benches over the absence of parliamentary debate on the proposed amendments.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed disappointment that the Opposition chose not to participate in deliberations on what he described as an important piece of legislation. He said Parliament functions best through meaningful debate and urged Opposition members not to allow protests to prevent discussions on key bills in the future.
Rijiju remarked that lawmakers are accountable to the people who elected them and should actively engage in legislative business rather than allowing repeated disruptions to overshadow parliamentary proceedings.
Presiding Officer Dilip Saikia also described the situation as unfortunate, noting that the House had passed the bill without the cooperation and participation expected during the legislative process.
Separately, the Lok Sabha approved an extension for the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025. The committee, headed by BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, has now been granted additional time to submit its report until the first day of the final week of the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.
Friday’s proceedings reflected the continuing political standoff between the government and the Opposition, with legislative business moving ahead even as protests over recent student demonstrations dominated the atmosphere inside the House.