New Delhi [India], August 20 : Both the Houses of the Parliament faced a major adjournment on Wednesday after Opposition MPs held a protest, seeking discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is facing criticism over the deletion of voter names from electoral rolls in various constituencies. Opposition MPs have alleged a "vote theft" in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and Bihar SIR.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed the opposition over the continuous ruckus in the House.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Rijiju said, "Since the monsoon session began, these people (Opposition) have been continuously shouting slogans. For the past three days, it has been decided to honour Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, but it is very unfortunate that the hero of our country--who travelled to space and hoisted the Indian flag--was not even given the opportunity to be honoured because of the actions of the opposition. This is truly shameful."
Sharpening his attack, Kiren Rijiju emphasised that the government will pass the bills on its agenda "no matter what".
"Go outside and see how badly your actions are perceived. The world laughs at this, and now even school children have started asking, "Do MPs behave like this?" We will get the government's business passed no matter what. We will do the work that needs to be done in the interest of the country and society, because the people of this nation have entrusted us with this responsibility," he said.
"Creating disruption only harms the opposition, especially the new MPs. The more chaos you create, the more the public will completely reject you. Once again, I urge you all to participate in the discussion," the Union Minister said.
Meanwhile, a Bill to promote and regulate the online gaming sector, including e-sports, educational games and social gaming and to provide for the appointment of an authority for coordinated policy support, strategic development and regulatory oversight of the sector was introduced in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, was introduced by Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
It seeks to prohibit the offering, operation, facilitation, advertisement, promotion and participation in online money games through any computer resource, mobile device or the internet, particularly where such activities operate across State borders or from foreign jurisdiction.
The bill seeks to protect individuals, especially youth and vulnerable populations, from the adverse social, economic, psychological and privacy-related impacts of such games.
It seeks to ensure responsible use of digital technologies and to maintain public order and protect public health.
The bill seeks to safeguard the integrity of financial systems and the security and sovereignty of the state and establish a uniform, national-level legal framework in the public interest.