On the seventeenth day of the Monsoon Session, the Opposition’s INDIA bloc staged a high-decibel protest in Parliament over the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue. Senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge joined MPs from various parties wearing white T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan ‘124 Not Out’, symbolizing the Opposition’s united strength and continued resistance.

Protest Highlights:

• MPs from Congress, NCP, and DMK, including Supriya Sule and Kanimozhi, were seen holding onions, a symbolic jab at inflation.
• The slogan ‘124 Not Out’ represents the current Opposition MP tally in Lok Sabha and their “unbowed” resolve.
• The protest follows Monday’s detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other MPs during a march to the Election Commission office over alleged irregularities in Bihar’s electoral roll revisions.

On the Government’s Agenda

While the Opposition focused on democratic accountability, the ruling BJP-led government pushed ahead with major legislative business:One Nation One Election Motion

BJP MP PP Chaudhary will move a motion to extend the tenure of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the ‘One Nation One Election’ proposal. The JPC is reviewing:

• The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024
• The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024

The extension seeks time till the first day of the last week of Winter Session 2025 for the committee to present its report. Congress MP Manish Tewari is also part of the JPC.

Ports Sector Overhaul: Indian Ports Bill, 2025

Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is set to move the Indian Ports Bill, 2025 in Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to:

• Consolidate port-related laws
• Empower State Maritime Boards
• Create a Maritime State Development Council
• Streamline business and international compliance
• Manage pollution, security, and emergencies at ports

Mining Sector Reform

Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy will move a bill to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, aimed at modernizing the legal framework of the sector.