New Delhi, August 11: The Rajya Sabha on Monday returned the Manipur Appropriation Bill, 2025 and the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to the Lok Sabha, despite vociferous Opposition protests over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The session witnessed a brief debate on the Bills before their passage. The Appropriation Bill authorises the withdrawal and appropriation of funds from the Consolidated Fund of Manipur for the financial year 2025–26. The GST Amendment Bill, which seeks to implement GST Council decisions, will replace the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.
Earlier in the day, Opposition MPs marched towards the Election Commission headquarters to protest against the SIR exercise in Bihar but were stopped midway and detained. They later reached the Upper House, demanding that Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge be allowed to speak, and raised slogans in the Well of the House.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised the Opposition for opposing Manipur’s budget, stating that while they often speak about Manipur, they were now protesting on an unrelated issue and voting against crucial state bills.
