Two bills passed amid opposition sloganeering

The Lok Sabha passed two crucial bills - Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill and Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill - amidst Opposition sloganeering and repeated disruptions.

The Lok Sabha witnessed disruptions throughout the day as the Opposition continued to demand a statement by the PM on Manipur. The House met at 11 am and the Opposition MPs trooped into the well. As the Opposition raised slogans demanding a statement by the PM, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm within four minutes. In the post-lunch session, environment minister Bhupender Yadav requested the chair that the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill be taken up. With the Opposition raising slogans, the discussion was drowned out. Yadav said the legislation would help India deal with the triple crisis of climate change, desertification and loss of biological resources that the world was facing.

The Chair adjourned the House again after the bill was passed. When the House reassembled, the cooperatives bill was taken up. Cooperation minister Amit Shah said the provisions in the bill will initiate a new era for the sector. The bill was later approved by the Lok Sabha amid din by a voice vote after a short discussion during which only three members participated.