Lok Sabha passes two tax Bills without debate; Rijiju issues ultimatum to Opposition

As the Opposition members continued their protest, the Lok Sabha on Monday (August 11, 2025) passed the two crucial Bills pertaining to taxation without any debate.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Income-Tax (No 2) Bill and the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha when no Opposition member was present in the House. Most of the Opposition leaders had been detained while marching towards the headquarters of the Election Commission against the revision of the Bihar electoral rolls and alleged electoral malpractices.

After they returned, the Opposition members continued raising slogans in the Well of the House. Amid the din, the two taxation Bills were passed by voice vote.

Sports Bill passed

The Lok Sabha also passed the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025. These Bills were also introduced when the Opposition members were not present in the House. Two members spoke in support of the Bills. As the Opposition continued its protests later in the day, the Bills were passed by voice vote.

Earlier, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, while taking up the two Bills for passage, said the government had made “several attempts” to bring forward legislation on sports governance. “In the coming days, when India is going to bid for the Olympics, it is important that our sports ecosystem is robust, transparent and accountable. This is a crucial step in that direction,” he said.

Against rules: Birla

When the House met in the morning, the Opposition members were on their feet, raising slogans and holding placards. Speaker Om Birla tried to run the Question Hour for about 10 minutes, but the Opposition members were relentless in their protests.

Mr. Birla then charged them of “systematically disrupting” the proceedings of the House for 14 days. “This is against the rules and regulations and against the democratic process. People elected you as their representatives to raise their issues and to fulfil their hopes and aspirations, but you are only protesting,” he said before the adjourning the House till 2 p.m.

Will pass important Bills: Rijiju

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju targeted the Congress-led Opposition for the repeated disruptions and asserted that the government would now proceed with the passage of important Bills in the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha.

“Every day, we will not allow the country’s and Parliament’s time to be wasted on one issue. Therefore, we will pass important Bills,” Mr. Rijiju told reporters at a press conference in the Parliament complex.

The Minister said the government was keen to holding discussions on important Bills but repeated disruptions by the Opposition were leading to adjournments.

“You have raised an issue, do it for one day. What is the point in raising the same issue every day,” the Minister said.

Mr. Rijiju listed the Income Tax Bill, National Sports Governance Bill, Merchant Shipping Bill, the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, and the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill as priority for the government.