Sri Vijaya Puram, Aug. 5: The Lok Sabha passed the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026, amid continued disruptions by opposition members, clearing the legislation without discussion before adjourning for the day. The Bill seeks to modernise the legal framework governing evidence relating to bankers’ books by aligning it with contemporary digital banking practices, including recognition of electronic records as legally admissible evidence.
The legislation was introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after the House reassembled at 2 pm following its first adjournment. The Bill aims to provide a law relating to evidence with respect to bankers’ books and update it to meet the requirements of the present banking system. It also provides that an electronic or digital record of a banker’s book will be admissible, valid and legally enforceable as evidence. The Lok Sabha passed the Bill amid opposition protests without holding a debate.
Following the passage of the legislation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed concern over the repeated disruptions in the House. He urged opposition parties to cooperate to ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament and alleged that they were deliberately preventing the House from conducting its business. Rijiju said the Business Advisory Committee had allocated adequate time for debates on Bills, but claimed that opposition members were not cooperating.
During his remarks, Rijiju also alleged that the Congress, Communist Party and Samajwadi Party had opposed Lord Ram and disrespected him. He claimed that these parties had protested against the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and demanded that they apologise for their remarks. Amid continued uproar, the House was adjourned for the day and scheduled to reconvene at 11 am the following day.
Earlier in the day, when proceedings began at 11 am, Speaker Om Birla attempted to take up the Question Hour, but opposition members raised the issue of alleged police action during students’ protests and demanded a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Birla appealed to members to allow the Question Hour to function smoothly, describing it as an important parliamentary mechanism that enables members to raise issues. He said displaying placards and engaging in sloganeering inside the House was not appropriate in a democracy and emphasised that Parliament was meant for discussion, questions and meaningful exchange of ideas. As the disruptions continued, the House was adjourned until 2 pm before resuming later to pass the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026.
