Ruckus reigns on Day 3 of Monsoon session as Opposition protests stall Parliament

The third day of the Monsoon session of Parliament descended into disarray on July 23, as coordinated protests by Opposition MPs over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar led to multiple adjournments in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

As proceedings began at 11 am, lawmakers from the Opposition stormed the Well of the House, waving placards and chanting slogans. Despite repeated appeals by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urging members to maintain decorum and refrain from bringing placards into the chamber, the uproar persisted, disrupting the Question Hour.

Both Houses were adjourned within minutes of commencement, initially till noon, and later multiple times — eventually being suspended till July 24 amid unrelenting protests.

Protest over Bihar SIR rocks Parliament

At the heart of the disruption was the contentious voter-roll update exercise underway in Bihar. Opposition parties have alleged irregularities and raised concerns over disenfranchisement. Their demand: an immediate rollback of the SIR process. Repeated adjournment motions submitted by Opposition members were rejected, fuelling further outrage.

By 2 pm, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day after continuous sloganeering and confrontations.

Push for judicial removal intensifies

In a rare move, 145 MPs in Lok Sabha and 63 in Rajya Sabha submitted a joint memorandum seeking the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma under Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution. The submission adds to the political churn surrounding the ongoing session.

Government pushes key reforms amid chaos

Before the adjournments, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tabled two significant legislations in the Lok Sabha — the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 and the National Anti-Doping Amendment Bill, 2025.

The Sports Governance Bill seeks to bring India’s cricket board, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), along with 45 National Sports Federations, under the regulatory oversight of a proposed National Sports Board. The Bill aims to usher in athlete-centric reforms, transparency in governance, and expedited dispute resolution. If enacted, the BCCI would forfeit its long-standing autonomous status.

Session outlook

The Monsoon session, which began earlier this week, is scheduled to have 21 sittings over 32 days, concluding on August 21, 2025. Both Houses will take a break from August 12 to August 18 for the Independence Day celebrations.

However, with adjournments dominating the initial days and no signs of de-escalation from either side, legislative business may continue to face turbulence.