FM Sitharaman moves Appropriation Bill amid parliamentary political spar

The Lok Sabha on Thursday is set for a packed legislative agenda as Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman moves the Appropriation (No. 4) Bill, 2025, seeking Parliament’s approval to authorise the payment and appropriation of additional funds from the Consolidated Fund of India for the financial year 2025–26.

The House convened at 11 am, with proceedings listed for Question Hour, the laying of papers, committee reports and other legislative business. A major focus of the day will be the discussion and voting on the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2025–26, with MPs also taking up the cut motions filed against these demands.

During the session, a motion moved by Supriya Sule and supported by PP Chaudhary was taken up, seeking an extension of time for the presentation of the Joint Committee’s report on two key legislations the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The extension has been proposed until the first day of the last week of the Budget Session, 2026.

In the political arena, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday praised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for delivering what he described as an “outstanding speech” in the Lok Sabha. PM Modi said Shah had laid out “concrete facts” about India’s electoral framework, highlighted the robustness of the country’s democratic processes, and “exposed the lies of the Opposition.”

In a post on X, the Prime Minister wrote, “An outstanding speech by Home Minister Shri Amit Shah Ji. With concrete facts, he has highlighted diverse aspects of our electoral process, the strength of our democracy and also exposed the lies of the Opposition.”

The PM’s remarks came after an intense exchange in Parliament between Amit Shah and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over allegations of vote chori. Rahul Gandhi challenged the Home Minister to a debate based on his three press conferences on alleged voter fraud. Shah countered sharply, saying that “Parliament won’t function as per his wish,” triggering further political back-and-forth.

The day’s developments are expected to shape both legislative progress and political discourse as the Winter Session enters a crucial phase.