New Delhi: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah is prepared to address Parliament and respond to all queries regarding the student protests and subsequent police action, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Monday.

Conceding to weeks of intense demands from the Opposition, the government expressed its readiness for a comprehensive debate on the floor of the Lok Sabha, provided the proceedings remain free of disruptions. The announcement comes alongside a crucial legislative agenda, with Shah scheduled to introduce two major Bills, including the landmark proposal to officially rename Kerala as "Keralam".

Govt agrees to discussion on police crackdown on student protests

Addressing the media, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed that the government is fully prepared to engage in a detailed discussion covering all issues surrounding student movements, examination irregularities and the controversial police response. The Opposition has consistently disrupted House proceedings, demanding that Shah personally explain the documented use of pellet guns during student demonstrations in Delhi and allegations surrounding the use of AK-47s during protests in Bihar.

Rijiju emphasised that the offer from the government is clear and transparent, urging Opposition parties, including the Congress, to refrain from creating "hungama" (chaos) when the Home Minister rises to deliver his statement.

Parliamentary pressure mounts following Vice President C P Radhakrishnan's intervention

The pressure on the government to ensure the Home Minister’s attendance reached a peak when Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan intervened during Upper House proceedings. Addressing Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Vice President Radhakrishnan nudged the treasury benches to consider the Opposition's requests and effectively echo their sentiments to the Home Minister regarding his presence in Parliament.

While Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju subsequently stated that the Chair's remarks were an observation rather than a formal directive, emphasising that Shah remains within the Parliament complex daily from morning till night, the Vice President's intervention underscored the growing urgency for a direct ministerial presence on the floor.

Protests and demands over police action on student protesters

The background to this confrontation stems from the Opposition’s persistent demands for Shah to make an official statement regarding the police action against student demonstrators during the July 20 Parliament march. Opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and MP K C Venugopal, accused the Home Minister of avoiding direct parliamentary scrutiny and questioned why he had not personally addressed the House on law and order matters under his portfolio. The government firmly rejected these accusations, arguing that collective ministerial responsibility applies and that individual ministers appear on the floor when specific business is listed under their names.

Renaming Kerala to Keralam: Aligning Constitutional identity with local heritage

Among the key measures to be presented by the Home Minister is the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, which proposes to officially rename the state as "Keralam" in the First Schedule of the Constitution. This legislative step follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly requesting the Central Government to modify the name to reflect the state's native Malayalam nomenclature. With the Union Cabinet having already granted its formal approval, Shah’s introduction of the Bill in the Lok Sabha fulfills a long-standing regional demand to harmonise the state’s official constitutional name with its linguistic and cultural identity.

Broader legislative agenda: Cooperative, mining and tribunal reforms

In addition to the State Renaming Bill, Shah will move the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which aims to overhaul the 1962 Act and broaden financing mechanisms across the cooperative sector.

The broader legislative push for the day also includes two other major measures introduced by Cabinet colleagues – Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will present the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, proposing the establishment of a National Tribunals Commission to streamline judicial efficiency, while Union Minister G Kishan Reddy will move the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026.

By introducing these pivotal Bills, Shah aligns with the government's statutory roadmap while directly addressing the demands voiced across both sides of the aisle.