Lok Sabha passes Bill to rename Kerala as Keralam by voice vote amid Opposition sloganeering
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, seeking to rename 'Kerala' as 'Keralam' amid sloganeering by the Opposition, news
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, seeking to rename 'Kerala' as 'Keralam' amid sloganeering by the Opposition, news agency PTI reported. The Bill was passed by voice vote without any discussion in the House. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was scheduled to move the Bill, remained ‘absent’. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai moved the Bill amid protests by Opposition members. "It seems the Congress MPs are not in favour of the renaming," Rai took a swipe at the principal Opposition party, which governs Kerala, while moving the legislation. Subsequently, the Co-operation Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill was also passed without debate as members raised slogans and carried placards to the Well demanding the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the House.
The Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to further amend the Co-operative Development Corporation Act, 1962. Of the 11 Bills passed by the Lok Sabha so far, only two have been debated, while the remaining legislation was cleared without discussion amid protests by Opposition members. Earlier, Speaker Om Birla expressed concern over repeated disruptions after the House was adjourned within minutes of reconvening at 11 am. He urged the government and Opposition to find common ground and allow the House to debate key Bills that could bring "far-reaching changes in the country". The Opposition has been vehemently demanding that Shah appear in Parliament to address the police crackdown on student protesters in Delhi on July 20 and the alleged theft of funds at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Also Read | President Murmu gives assent to Bill making insult to Vande Mataram a crime The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill was introduced on Monday by Nityanand Rai. “The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 provides for such alteration of the name of the State of Kerala and contains necessary amendments to the provisions of the Constitution, as well as consequential provisions,” according to the Bill’s Statement of Objects and Reasons. The Kerala Legislative Assembly had earlier adopted a resolution on 24 June 2024 seeking to officially change the name of the state to “Keralam”. Subsequently, the state leadership approached the central government to initiate the required procedure to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution under Article 3, replacing “Kerala” with “Keralam”.
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