Sang Vande Mataram, then adjourned: What happened on Parliament’s final day?
New Delhi: The Monsoon Session of Parliament ended amid a political face-off between NDA and INDIA bloc MPs, with rival groups staging protests at Makar Dwar and the Lok Sabha being adjourned sine die amid continued sloganeering.
The abrupt end of Parliament’s Monsoon Session has sparked debate online after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led members in Vande Mataram before the House was adjourned sine die. The online posts questioned whether Parliament had been able to function meaningfully during the session and criticised the use of taxpayers’ money.
Ruling NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc MPs confronted each other near Parliament’s Makar Dwar on Thursday as security personnel formed a cordon between the two groups. The protests centred on different issues. NDA MPs targeted Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over student protests in Jharkhand, while INDIA bloc MPs demanded accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged police action during student protests.
The Opposition also raised allegations concerning the handling of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Rival protests turn into a face-off
Before the confrontation, the two groups had staged separate demonstrations.
NDA MPs protested against Gandhi and accused him of avoiding a debate on student protests. BJP MP Kangana Ranaut said the Opposition was raising issues without focusing on development, the economy or defence.
INDIA bloc MPs, meanwhile, carried placards and raised slogans targeting Amit Shah and the BJP. They demanded a statement from the Home Minister on alleged police excesses during protests over the NEET paper leak.
The Congress has maintained that the Home Minister should specifically address questions about who ordered the use of pellet guns against students.
Parliament ends amid continued disruption
The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die soon after proceedings began on the final day of the Monsoon Session.
The session ended amid Opposition protests and heavy sloganeering, following the traditional playing of Vande Mataram.
The standoff outside the House reflected the wider deadlock that had continued through much of the session, with the government and Opposition disagreeing over the issues to be debated and the ministers expected to respond.
Government and Opposition trade accusations
Union Minister Giriraj Singh criticised Rahul Gandhi and accused him of failing to engage with the NEET-UG paper leak issue.
Other BJP leaders also attacked the Opposition over its conduct in Parliament and raised issues involving Punjab and Jharkhand.
Opposition MPs, however, accused the government of deliberately preventing Parliament from functioning. Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said the Opposition wanted the Prime Minister and Home Minister to respond to matters concerning students.
Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Parliament is meant for discussion and should not function according to the demands of any one individual or group.
Three weeks of deadlock
The INDIA bloc had been protesting for around three weeks, demanding Amit Shah’s presence in the House and a statement on the alleged police action during student protests.
The government had offered a debate and a response from the Home Minister, but the Opposition maintained that the response needed to address its specific questions.
The disagreement contributed to repeated disruptions during the session.
Why it matters
The final-day confrontation highlights the continuing divide between the government and Opposition over parliamentary accountability and the handling of student-related protests.
The dispute also brought several separate political issues into the same confrontation, including the Jharkhand protests, the NEET paper leak, allegations concerning Ram temple donations and questions over the conduct of parliamentary proceedings.
With the session now over, the political dispute is likely to continue outside Parliament, while the parties prepare to take these issues to the wider political arena.