Congress MP Rajeev Shukla alleged that the Rajya Sabha Chair has started “dictating” what a member can say or not.

“Everyone was speaking on the Bill (Supreme Court Amendment Bill, 2026) today. Now, a situation has arisen where the Chair has started dictating what you can and cannot say. Never before in the history of Parliament has it happened that you are told during a speech, ‘No, you must say only what we want; you cannot speak about anything else.’ The Opposition has been left with no voice at all... this is the height of dictatorship,” he said.

On reports of the government calling a special session on the Delimitation bill, Congress MP K.C. Venugopal said: “We don’t know anything. What is the purpose of a special session? Today, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met us to discuss delimitation and to know the stand of the Opposition. Our stand on delimitation is very clear. Our stand is the same as it was in the last Parliament session. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister is trying to create confusion.”

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Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mahua Majhi, speaking during the SC Judges’ Bill discussion, asked whether increasing the number of Judges will guarantee justice. She said that India’s justice system needs a complete overhaul and also depends on the kind of people running the system.

She also highlighted the plight of thousands still waiting for justice due to various factors including pendency of cases and the lack of accessibility to even district courts, let alone the Supreme Court.

Rajya Sabha MP from BRS party Ravichandra Vaddiraju, speaking in favour of the SC Judges’ Bill, urged the government to consider a SC Bench “for South India” to enhance accessibility to justice and the judges.

He further said Hyderabad is the best suited location for such a bench that will help citizens avoid extra hassle and costs in coming to New Delhi for all SC cases.

The Rajya Sabha continues discussion on the SC Judges’ Bill even as several Opposition MPs stages a walkout.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who spoke in favour of the Bill, was appreciated by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in a lighthearted moment. Further, Mr. Rijiju clarified a point raised Mr. Singh on inclusion of people from SC/ST communities in the Supreme Court. The Union Minister said that the government has no role to play in the collegium system used to appoint SC judges.

Shortly after passing the The Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day. The House will next meet at 11 a.m. on Thursday (August 6, 2026).

The Bill, passed through a voice vote without discussion, seeks to provide a law relating to evidence with respect to bankers’ books and align it with contemporary digital banking practices, along with matters connected or incidental thereto.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hit out at Opposition parties for their protest against the alleged Ram Temple donations scam. He claimed the Congress, CPI and the Samajwadi Party have always opposed Lord Ram, and that their “chanda chori” skit in the Parliament premises has hurt sentiments.

“They should apologise to the country,” he said.

Further, Mr. Rijiju also accused the Opposition of not wanting the House to function. “K.C. Venugopal is a good man, but he is unable to make his party members understand maintain decorum,” Mr. Rijiju told the House, adding that the government is up for a discussion. “I urge the members to not impose matters.”

Reprimanding the Opposition MPs for pouring into the Well of the House, Chairperson Jagdambika Pal questioned the protesting Members for disrupting proceedings. He asked why they are protesting where they shouldn’t be.

Referring to the ongoing student protests in Jharkhand, he took a few Opposition MPs’ names and asked them to go to Ranchi and speak up on matters related to exam “irregularities”. 

Amid continued Opposition protests, the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill was passed in Lok Sabha via voice vote. 

The Bill was moved by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and there was no discussion in the House.

Amid repeated requests to maintian decorum of the House, the Rajya Sabha took up the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, for consideration and passing.

It was passed by a voice vote in the Lok Sabha on August 3.

The Bill amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 to increase the number of puisne (ordinary) judges from 33 to 37. With the CJI included, the court’s sanctioned strength rises from 34 to 38.

In Chair: Harivansh Singh

The House is set to take up the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, replacing an ordinance that increased the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). 

“The country’s Home Minister is hiding his face because he is guilty of wrongdoing against the students,” Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said in a post in Hindi.

This came after several Opposition MPs joined him in a protest march within the Parliament premises.

Credit: Special arrangement

BJP MP Jagdambika Pal questioned the Opposition’s silence on the ongoing Jharkhand protests over alleged State exam irregularities and claimed that they are deliberately disrupting House proceedings. 

“Why is the opposition protesting? Students in Ranchi have been agitating over the JPSC paper leak for 13 days, yet their Chief Minister hasn’t even spoken to them; Rahul Gandhi and the entire opposition remain silent on that. Here, however, the Prime Minister and two senior Ministers addressed the students’ interests, and their demands were accepted...,” he said.

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“It is very painful. We record nearly 1.80 lakh deaths in road accidents every year,” says Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in the Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour.

Independent MP Pappu Yadav on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) launched an attack on BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, claiming that her primary objective in public life appears to be initiating legal actions against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters Mr. Yadav said, “As for Sushma Swaraj’s daughter (Bansuri Swaraj), it appears that she was born only to file cases against Rahul Gandhi. She goes to the police station whenever she wishes. She has no understanding of the law.”

The Purnia MP further remarked that Ms. Swaraj should adhere to parliamentary protocols before pursuing such matters. “Let her first seek permission from the Speaker in the House,” he added.

ANI

Congress MP K.C. Venugopal said Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, “with the government’s agenda, with the Prime Minister’s agenda”. 

“Parliament exists for debate and discussion. They do not want any debate or discussion. They want to bulldoze everything. They want to pass separate legislation, which we cannot agree with at all. That is what happened today...” he added.

“Solution has to be given by the government. We are raising the issue. Students were brutally assaulted by the Delhi police. AK-47 was being used in Bihar. There should be an answer from the Home Minister of India. Why is he running away? Like ‘chanda chori’, Ram Mandir. There is no answer. We are asking only for a discussion. What happened in Ram Mandir donation? These people who are so-called ‘bhaktas’, now completely are stealing the money of Lord Rama. There is no accountability, there is no investigation, proper investigation,” Mr. Venugopal said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) hosted a breakfast meeting with 37 BJP MPs at his residence as part of his ongoing interactions with parliamentarians during the Monsoon session of Parliament.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister is said to have shared personal experiences and held informal discussions with the MPs. Those who attended the meeting included newly elected party leaders Tarun Chugh and Vinod Tawde and former AAP leaders Swati Maliwal, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak and Vikramjit Singh Sahney.

The breakfast meeting during Parliament sessions has been part of the prime minister’s practice for several years, providing the MPs an opportunity to directly interact with him.

The breakfast meeting was part of the Prime Minister’s practice of meeting different groups of BJP MPs during Parliament sessions to interact and exchange views.

The BJP on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi, saying he was an “immature and part-time” Leader of the Opposition who is disrupting Parliament as he is “scared” of a comparison between the Narendra Modi government’s performance and that of the previous Congress-led UPA dispensation.

The ruling party also accused the Congress leader of making “baseless” remarks against the BJP and the RSS.

The remarks came after Mr. Gandhi on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) said the students of the country are in “severe pain” and they do not need Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forgiveness but his apology for his government’s action against them.

PTI

On a question on charges at toll plazas by DMK’s P. Wilson, Mr. Gadkari elaborated on the FASTag or Unified Payments Interface (UPI) process by the government. He said the government is looking to change the whole system by eliminating toll nakas and enuring a smooth process.

“If you want good services, you need to pay. Everything cannot be provided for free,” he said, in his answer.

Under the National Highways Fee Rules, vehicles entering a toll plaza without a valid and functional FASTag are charged twice the applicable user fee if they pay in cash. However, highway users who choose to pay via UPI are charged 1.25 times the user fee for their respective vehicle category.

Later, Chairperson Radhakrishnan makes a request to the Union Minister, urging him to make provisions of a pass to former MPs to travel without toll on the highways, similar to the one provided by the Railways. 

“We have beautiful roads, but the number of accidents have increased. This is not because of the roads, but because drivers do not drive properly,” Sudha Murthy said, posing her question on the procedures of issuing drivers license in a manner to reduce road accidents on national highways.

Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari responded amid Opposition protests. “Most important aspect is the human behaviour,” he said, stating that government is taking initiatives to improve training.

As the Rajya Sabha resumes proceedings, Chairperson C.P. Radhakrishnan begins by stating two points in his observations.

He tells members of the Upper House that nobody is allowed to enter the Well of the House, and that placards are not allowed as part of protests that disrupt the proceedings.

Question Hour begins

The Opposition, which is continuing its protests in Parliament, has three demands, said CPI MP in Rajya Sabha P. Sandosh Kumar.

• “First, today marks the anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. The restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir was one of the major promises made by the government. The Supreme Court has also intervened in this matter, yet statehood has still not been restored. We demand that the government take steps to ensure the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.”
• “Second, there are allegations regarding the Ram Janmabhoomi funds scam, and we seek a comprehensive discussion on the issue.”
• “Third, Amit Shah should come to Parliament and make a statement on the brutal lathi charge against students on July 20.”

PTI

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju held a meeting with Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi over continuing deadlock in Parliament. The meeting concluded after almost 50 minutes of discussion.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present in the meeting being held in the office of the LoP in Parliament premises.

ANI

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Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till noon with Chairperson C.P. Radhakrishnan urging members to raise matters without deviating from the subject. This came as Opposition MPs continued to protest, seeking answers from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“There is no point of an order if there is no order in the House,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said before the adjournment.

On Opposition’s protest at Prerna Sthal, Congress MP Pawan Khera said: “We will walk towards Vijay Chowk. Our issues are same as we raised inside Parliament. Where is Home Minister? Where is PM?”

As the session began with the Zero Hour, Opposition members of the Upper House continued to protest. Chair C.P. Radhakrishnan reprimanded them for not “obeying the rules” of the House, stating that they will be given time to speak only if they stopped disrupting proceedings.

The proceedings continue amid din. Members raise matters with permission of the Chair.

Amid Opposition protests, Speaker Om Birla says every member will be given appropriate time to raise their concerns and relevant questions.

“You are allowed to discuss issue democratically. Ask questions during the Question Hour, concerned Ministers will answer you. But you want to protest with slogans and posters and bring down the dignity of the House?” Mr. Birla told Opposition MPs, urging them to maintain decorum.

The House has been adjourned to meet again at 2 p.m. today.

In Chair: Speaker Om Birla

Mr. Birla urges members of the House to let proceedings continue. He says protesting inside the House or on Parliament premises isn’t a good look.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) submitted a notice under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha, seeking a discussion on the public outrage and consumer rights issues arising from the mandatory implementation of E20 petrol ahead of the Monsoon Session in Parliament.

“The government has advanced its ethanol-blending target from 2030 to 2025 and has effectively made E20 petrol the default fuel available at a large number of retail outlets (petrol pumps) nationwide. Consequently, millions of citizens are being compelled to use a fuel for which their vehicles were neither designed nor certified, all without any meaningful alternative or informed consent,” he said.

He noted that the Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari admitted in Parliament that E20 petrol results in a 2-6% reduction in fuel efficiency (mileage), depending on the vehicle type and age.

“This admission is significant as it establishes that consumers are forced to purchase more fuel to cover the same distance. Lakhs of vehicle owners across the country have reported a noticeable drop in mileage, a decline in engine performance, increased maintenance costs, and concerns regarding long-term engine durability. These apprehensions are no longer merely hypothetical,” he said.

ANI

Opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, march from the Gandhi statue at Prerna Sthal to Makar Dwar in protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over “police action” against protesters during the July 20 Cockroach Janta Party-led march, and the issue of alleged Ayodhya Ram Temple donations scam.

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The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) passed The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 amid protests by Opposition members demanding an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the police action against student protesters. The Lok Sabha too had cleared the Bill on Friday (July 31, 2026) without any major debate. The Bill proposes to amend sub-section (3) of Section 13 of the present Act to make provisions of delayed registration more stringent.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore B also submitted an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha, seeking a discussion on the police action during a student protest held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20 and demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the incident.

In his notice, Mr Tagore said that reports and allegations arising from the incident had raised serious concerns about the nature and proportionality of the force used to disperse the protesters.

“Reports and allegations arising from the incident have raised serious concerns regarding the nature and proportionality of force used to disperse the protesters. It has been alleged that lathi charges, pellet guns, tear gas, and water cannons were used against students, including women participants, resulting in injuries and widespread public concern. These allegations require a full, fair and transparent examination,” the notice reads.

-ANI

Congress MP Manish Tewari submitted an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha, seeking suspension of the day’s listed business to discuss the need for a new anti-defection law to curb mass political defections.

In his notice, Mr. Tewari sought leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the House to discuss what he described as a matter of “definite urgent public importance.”

-ANI