It's official! Lok Sabha passes Bill to formally rename Kerala as ‘Keralam’

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to formally change the state's name to 'Keralam'. The legislation was passed by voice vote without debate as Opposition members disrupted proceedings, crowding the Well of the House with placards and raising slogans demanding the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over student protests, alongside allegations of financial irregularities at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Moving the legislation amid the din, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai took a swipe at the principal Opposition party, remarking, “It seems the Congress MPs are not in favour of the renaming.”

The House, which reassembled at 2 pm after an initial adjournment, also cleared the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, moved by Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, without discussion amid the ongoing ruckus.

House stalemate continues

Out of 11 Bills cleared by the Lok Sabha in the current session, nine have been passed without debate due to persistent parliamentary disruptions. Speaker Om Birla expressed anguish when proceedings began at 11 am, appealing to both the Treasury and Opposition benches to find common ground so the House could deliberate on legislation bringing “far-reaching changes in the country”.

The Opposition stalemate, now entering its fourth week, centres on demands for Home Minister Amit Shah to explicitly clarify who ordered the firing of pellets against student protesters on 20 July.

In addition, the Congress party has stated that its demand for a debate regarding alleged theft of funds at the Ayodhya Ram temple remains non-negotiable.

With the Monsoon Session set to conclude on Thursday, uncertainty remains over key pending legislation, including the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill.

PTI