Parliament – Lok Sabha Clears Digital Evidence Bill Amid Persistent Opposition Protests
Parliament –The Lok Sabha on Wednesday approved a key piece of legislation that allows digital and virtual banking records to be accepted as admissible evidence in courts, even as repeated protests by Opposition members disrupted proceedings throughout the day. The Bill was passed by a voice vote without any debate after continuous sloganeering prevented the House from taking up a detailed discussion.
Opposition Protests Continue After House Reconvenes
The lower House resumed its sitting at 2 PM following an earlier adjournment, but disruptions continued almost immediately. Opposition MPs persisted with slogans, ignoring repeated requests from the Chair to allow proceedings on the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026.
With the uproar showing no signs of ending, the government moved ahead with the legislative process. The Bill was put to a voice vote and secured approval without any discussion on its provisions. The proposed law provides legal recognition to digital and virtual banking records, enabling them to be presented as valid evidence before courts.
Bill Replaces Colonial-Era Law
The legislation is intended to replace the Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891, a law that has governed the admissibility of banking records for well over a century. The updated framework reflects the increasing use of electronic banking systems and digital record-keeping across the financial sector.
By recognising electronic bank documents as legally admissible, the new law seeks to align judicial procedures with modern banking practices and technological advancements.
Government Criticises Opposition Conduct
During the noisy proceedings, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Opposition for continuing its protests inside the House. Referring to Congress leader K. C. Venugopal, Rijiju remarked that while he considered him a good person, he had failed to restrain members of his party.
The minister also targeted the Congress, the Communist parties and the Samajwadi Party, accusing them of taking a stand against Lord Ram. He called upon these parties to apologise to the country over their position.
Opposition Raises Multiple Issues
The Opposition has been demanding a response from the government on several issues during the ongoing Monsoon Session. Among its principal demands is a discussion on the police action against students who staged protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and in other locations across the country over the alleged NEET paper leak.
Opposition parties have also been raising allegations regarding the reported theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, pressing the government to address the matter in Parliament.
Speaker Expresses Concern Over Repeated Disruptions
Earlier in the day, when the House assembled in the morning, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed disappointment over the continued disruptions. He observed that Question Hour had failed to function properly since the Monsoon Session commenced on July 20 because of persistent protests by members.
The Speaker emphasised that raising slogans inside or outside the House does not strengthen democratic traditions and urged lawmakers to participate in constructive debate instead of disrupting parliamentary business. Despite those appeals, the protests continued throughout the day, leading to the passage of the banking evidence legislation without any discussion on the floor of the House.