Parliament passes Tax Amendment Bill; Opposition seeks Amit Shah’s statement on protest crackdown

Significant changes in some major laws were discussed in Parliament on Thursday when the Lok Sabha approved the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, with amendments to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, Income-tax Act, 2025, and Finance Act, 2026.

The Lok Sabha also agreed to the Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2026, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha. It also incorporates additional funds for the Consolidated Fund of India to spend during fiscal year 2025-26.

In the Rajya Sabha, political discourses were ongoing while Congress President and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge insisted on Union Home Minister Amit Shah taking a “strong action” over the police force’s “misconduct” during the event in front of the Jantar Mantar in Delhi during July 20 protest. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju was requested to let the Home Minister know the grievances of the Opposition in this regard by Chairman Rajya Sabha C P Radhakrishnan.

In the Special Mentions session, JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha appealed to the Centre to not extend the Indo-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty of 1996 as it was against Bihar’s interest. The treaty for water sharing is due to expire later this year.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke of the Centre’s work in etymology of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir from the time it was done away with in 2019, in the debate on Appropriation Bill. Interested in the officials of the government restructuring Union Territory’s debt, she added that another Rs 5,000 crore was sanctioned apart from the revamped budget of the Union Territory. Sitharaman restated the matter that Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India and she promised further financial assistance and development of the region.