The death of Café Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha, son-in-law of former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna, was expected to trigger uproar in Parliament. Congress MP Manish Tewari gave notice of an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha over alleged harassment of the businessman by income tax officials, which the party says drove him to take his own life.

The note

In a note attributed to him, recovered after his disappearance, Siddhartha accused a private equity partner of pressuring him to buy back shares. He also alleged harassment by a former Director General of Income Tax, who he said had attached the company’s shares on two occasions, blocking its Mindtree deal, and then taken control of its Café Coffee Day shares despite revised returns being filed. “This is very unfair and has led to serious liquidity crunch,” the note said.

Bills on the agenda

In the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah was to seek consideration of the 2019 amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which the Lok Sabha passed last week. The bill would allow the government to designate an individual as a “terrorist”. The Lok Sabha approved it on July 24 by 284 votes to eight, after Opposition members walked out calling the bill draconian and asking that it be sent to a standing committee. During that debate, Shah had promised that the government would never misuse the law.

In the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was to bring the 2019 amendment bill on the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The Rajya Sabha had approved the changes on Monday. They clarify that secured lenders rank ahead of operational creditors and give lenders clear authority over how the proceeds of auctions of defaulting companies are shared. Sitharaman had said the amendments were a response to developments that had undermined what lawmakers intended the code to do.

Triple talaq bill

On Tuesday, the bill to make triple talaq a criminal offence, which had failed in the Rajya Sabha on a previous attempt, was passed by the Upper House, where the Opposition has more members, helped by a number of walkouts and abstentions.

See also: Indian National Congress and Lok Sabha members.

Originally published on 31 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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