Uncertainty Over Key Bills as Congress Vows to Resist; Monsoon Session Faces Disruptions

PTI, August 9, 2026, New Delhi: With only four days remaining in the Monsoon session, the fate of major bills on women's reservation, delimitation and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) remains uncertain amid the ongoing logjam in Parliament.

None of these bills figured in the list of business for the Lok Sabha for Monday.

While a few opposition parties have shown signs of mellowing their stand on the women's quota and delimitation bills after the government's outreach, the Congress and most of its allies have vowed to oppose any move to bring in these legislation and the FCRA Amendment Bill.

The Constitution Amendment Bill that proposes 33 per cent reservation for women in 2029 and a redrawing of Lok Sabha constituencies to expand the House was defeated in April due to failure to secure a two-thirds majority.

"If the central government thinks they can cook up and introduce the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill within these two or three days, they should keep that wish to themselves," AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said on Sunday.

Venugopal alleged that the proposed legislation targeted minorities and NGOs and said the opposition would not allow it to be passed.

"Even if Amit Shah comes to pass this anti-people bill, there is no doubt that he will have to face strong protests in Parliament. This bill is unconstitutional and anti-people. We will not allow such an anti-people and unconstitutional bill to be passed," Venugopal told reporters in Alappuzha, Kerala.

The FCRA bill seeks to significantly tighten the oversight of foreign-funded organisations, proposing creation of a powerful new authority to seize and manage the assets of non-profits that lose their licence.

It has met with strong opposition from Christian organisations apart from political parties.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday recalled how an unprecedented number of 146 MPs were suspended during the 2023 Winter Session of Parliament and multiple significant laws were passed in the presence of minimal opposition, as he asserted that "history should not repeat itself".

With no let-up in the protests by the opposition parties, which are demanding Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on the police action against students agitating on the NEET paper leak issue, the Monsoon session of Parliament appears headed for a near-complete washout.

The monsoon session, which started on July 20, has seen repeated adjournments and virtually no business except the debate on the anti-paper leaks bill -- The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 -- which was passed by both Houses of Parliament.

Three more bills were passed in the two Houses with little or no debate and two other bills were passed by the Lok Sabha, amid unrelenting protests by the Opposition.

The opposition parties initially protested over the NEET paper leaks and alleged theft of donations at the Ayodhya Ram temple.

They later pressed for a discussion on police action against students protesting over the NEET paper leaks and also demanded the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister and their statement.