New Delhi: Parliament witnessed heated exchanges and Opposition protests on Thursday as key legislation, including the Vande Mataram Bill and the amended anti-paper leak law, moved ahead amid continuing political tension over the NEET controversy and alleged police action against protesting students. The Lok Sabha passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by voice vote, extending legal protection to the national song Vande Mataram. Under the proposed provisions, intentionally preventing the singing of Vande Mataram or disrupting a gathering where it is being sung could attract imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both. Repeat offenders could face a minimum jail term of one year. Soon after the Bill was passed, sloganeering broke out in the Lok Sabha and the House was adjourned for the day. The legislation became the first Bill to clear both Houses during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

The debate also saw sharp political differences over the legislation. Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai accused the Congress of failing to give Vande Mataram the respect it deserved during its years in power. Opposition members questioned the need for the law, with DMK MP Kanimozhi describing it as a political move presented in the name of nationalism. BJP MP Sambit Patra countered the criticism and accused previous governments of failing to properly honour the national song. At the same time, the political temperature remained high in the Rajya Sabha, where Congress president and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of alleged police excesses against students protesting over the NEET paper leak. Kharge demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation and questioned who had authorised the alleged use of lathis, tear gas and pellet guns against protesters. He claimed that more than 100 students were injured. Leader of the House J P Nadda hit back at the Opposition, accusing it of repeatedly disrupting Parliament despite the government's willingness to discuss issues.

The Rajya Sabha also passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, a day after it cleared the Lok Sabha. The legislation proposes tougher punishment for people involved in examination fraud and paper leaks. The minimum jail term for unfair means would rise from three years to five years, while the maximum punishment could extend to 10 years. The maximum fine would increase to Rs 50 lakh. Organised examination-related crimes could attract a minimum seven-year prison term and fines of up to Rs 10 crore. The Bill also provides for Special Fast Track Courts and a Special Task Force to investigate such offences. Union Minister Jitendra Singh defended the changes, saying they reflected the government's commitment to protecting students and ensuring zero tolerance towards paper leaks. Kharge, however, argued that harsher punishment alone would not fix problems in the examination system and called for wider reforms, including a fixed examination calendar and an independent investigation into the police action against protesters.

Outside Parliament, Congress and other INDIA bloc MPs continued their protests, demanding answers from the government over the alleged use of excessive force against students. Inside the Rajya Sabha, Opposition MPs sought a statement from Amit Shah, but Chairman C P Radhakrishnan rejected the demand and continued with House proceedings. Opposition members later staged a walkout. Away from the confrontation in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a nearly two-hour high-level meeting with senior ministers and officials to review India's preparedness amid the ongoing West Asia crisis. The government said there was no shortage of petrol, diesel, LPG or fertilisers and maintained that adequate urea stocks were available for the coming crop seasons. The meeting was attended by senior ministers and officials including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman, Hardeep Singh Puri, Piyush Goyal and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.