Parliament uproar continues over protests; MSME Bill 2026 passed

Parliament's monsoon session saw continued disruptions as the Opposition protested, demanding a statement from HM Amit Shah. Amid the chaos, the Lok Sabha passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

Opposition Protests Disrupt Parliament; MSME Bill Passed

Parliament witnessed repeated disruptions on Friday as Opposition members protested over the Ram temple donations theft issue and continued their demand for a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on alleged police action against student protesters, resulting in disruptions in both Houses. Amid rain, the MPs carrying Umbrellas and placards against the Central government protested infront of Makar Dwar of Parliament with slogans such as "Amit Shah Jawab do." The ongoing monsoon session has been largely washed out over the past two weeks.

Amid the uproar, only the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed. The Lok Sabha's listed business included the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the Kashmiri Pandits (Recourse, Restitution, Rehabilitation and Resettlement) Bill, 2025, the Fishermen (Protection and Welfare) Bill, 2024, and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety (Amendment) Bill, 2025. However, amid repeated disruptions, the remaining listed business could not be taken up.

Details of the MSME Amendment Bill

The MSME Amendment Bill, 2026 was passed by the Lok Sabha after being cleared by the Rajya Sabha on August 3. The Bill seeks to strengthen the legal framework governing the MSME sector, improve ease of doing business, create institutional mechanisms for promotion of MSMEs and address delayed payment issues faced by micro and small enterprises. The amendments provide for notifying a national digital platform for free and voluntary registration of an MSME, facilitate the State Governments to establish additional Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils by rationalising their composition, and decriminalises offences regarding contravention of certain provisions, replacing conviction-based fines with graded penalties by including a warning at the first instance

According to the government, MSMEs registered on the Udyam portal have increased from 1.65 crore as on April 1, 2023, to 9.16 crore currently. The sector provides employment to over 40 crore people and is considered a key pillar of the Indian economy.

Debate Over Home Minister's Statement

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated his demand for Amit Shah's statement and alleged that the Chair had asked the Home Minister to address the House. Kharge said, "You (the Chair) had asked the Home Minister to come and deliver a statement in the House. But they (the treasury benches) are not respecting your word and are insulting the House."

Rejecting the allegation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "The LoP is misleading the House. There has been no direction by the Chair. I am saying this on the record: from the time Parliament begins in the morning till it ends at night, the Home Minister is in the Parliament." He added, "The minister responsible for the business before the House gives the reply. The opposition will not decide which minister is to come and when." In the Lok Sabha, Rijiju criticised the Opposition's demand for a particular minister to respond in the House. "When the discussion starts, you will not be able to listen. He is in Parliament for long hours. Opposition cannot dictate which minister should come. A concerned minister is present in the House," Rijiju said. He also said, "Home Minister Amit Shah ka naam sun ke aatankwadi kaanp uthte hain" (Terrorists tremble at the mere mention of Home Minister Amit Shah's name).

Centre Clarifies Stance on OTT Platform Grievances

Meanwhile, complaints relating to the violation of the Code of Ethics are addressed under the provisions of the three-tier grievance redressal mechanism and complaints received by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) are forwarded to the concerned online curated content (OTT) platforms for resolution as per IT Rules, 2021, the Centre told the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Union Minister of State (MOS) for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan shared the information with the Upper House of Parliament in a written reply to a question asked by Parliamentarian Haris Beeran. He also said that the government notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 on February 25, 2021 under the IT Act, 2000 in order to put in place an institutional mechanism for publishers of news and current affairs on digital media and publishers of online curated content (OTT Platforms).

Congress Issues Whip for Final Session Days

Citing important legislative discussions, the Congress issued a three-line whip to its Lok Sabha members, asking them to remain present in the House during the final days of the Monsoon Session from August 10 to 12. Congress Parliamentary Party Chief Whip in Lok Sabha Kodikunnil Suresh said, "Very important issues will be taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday, i.e. 10th, 11th & 12th August, 2026." The whip further stated, "All Members of Congress Party in the Lok Sabha are requested to kindly remain present in the House from 11:00 A.M. onwards till the adjournment of the House... and support the Party stand."

The government is likely to take up the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 for discussion on August 12, with the Opposition expected to raise objections.

Both Houses Adjourned Amid Continued Ruckus

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till 11 am on August 10 amid sloganeering as the opposition demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on the police action against protesters on July 20. Amid ruckus in the House, Rajya Sabha chairperson CP Radhakrishnan urged both the ruling and the opposition camps to be seated. The House was adjourned for the day during the Question Hour. The Monsoon Session of Parliament began on July 20 and is scheduled to conclude on August 13. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)