Opposition Stirs in Parliament as Appropriation Bill Gets Voice Vote

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday concluded the voice‑vote passage of the Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2026 amid a backdrop of monsoon downpours and sustained opposition demonstrations. The measure is intended to legalise extra spending recorded in the financial year that ended on 31 March 2023, drawing funds from the Consolidated Fund of India. Alongside, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, the Income Tax Act, 2025 and the Finance Act, 2026. Opposition members disrupted proceedings with slogans, raising grievances over alleged mismanagement of the Ram Temple trust, the police response to the July 20 Parliament protest, and the contested Cauvery water sharing issue. The persistent turbulence led to several pauses and an eventual suspension of the day’s business, with the House set to reconvene at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. The same week, a separate bill increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges passed without debate, also amid opposition uproar. The ruling BJP blamed the opposition for deliberately hampering parliamentary functioning, arguing that essential legislative work and public discourse are being stalled.