NEW DELHI: Parliament’s Monsoon Session concluded amid prolonged protests, political confrontation and limited debate, with opposition parties skipping the customary tea gathering hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the end of the sitting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were present in the Lok Sabha as the session concluded. Birla, departing from his usual practice of summarising the House’s performance, brought the proceedings to an end shortly after the day’s business began.
The session was marked by repeated disruptions from opposition parties, resulting in sharply reduced productivity. According to figures cited by the BJP, the Lok Sabha recorded productivity of around 19 per cent, while the Rajya Sabha functioned at about 39 per cent.
The BJP blamed Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for the disruptions, accusing him of preventing Parliament from conducting meaningful business. Party leaders argued that repeated protests had come at the cost of legislative and parliamentary debate.
The Congress, however, rejected the government’s allegations and maintained that the disruptions were a consequence of the Centre’s refusal to address key demands raised by the opposition. These included a discussion on the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple and a statement from Prime Minister Modi on the matter.
Despite the frequent disruptions, the government succeeded in advancing much of its legislative agenda. Parliament passed 12 bills during the session. Among them, the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill was the only legislation on which the opposition agreed to participate in a substantive discussion, allowing MPs to raise concerns related to the NEET-UG paper leak and protests by students.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further scrutiny following objections raised by opposition parties and church organisations.
Another closely watched proposal did not materialise during the session. The government had been widely expected to bring back a Constitution amendment bill that could have increased the strength of the Lok Sabha and paved the way for implementing one-third reservation for women from 2029. However, the proposal was not introduced.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Congress for repeatedly changing its demands, saying the government had agreed to several issues raised by the opposition. He described the approach as harmful to parliamentary democracy.
Rijiju also attempted to reach out to Rahul Gandhi and invited him to attend the Speaker’s customary tea gathering. Gandhi declined the invitation, according to government sources.
The BJP largely concentrated its criticism on Gandhi, with party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad accusing him of adopting an uncompromising approach toward parliamentary functioning. He argued that such behaviour would ultimately hurt the Congress politically.
The opposition, meanwhile, maintained that its protests reflected a united stand against the government. Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh claimed that opposition unity and solidarity were clearly visible throughout the session and alleged that the government was under unprecedented pressure.
Concern over the repeated disruptions was also expressed from the Chair. Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan said persistent disorder and frequent interruptions had resulted in the loss of valuable working hours, depriving lawmakers of opportunities for meaningful debate on issues of national importance.
The session’s conclusion therefore highlighted the widening political divide between the government and the opposition. While the Centre managed to pass key legislation despite the disruptions, the limited time available for debate and the decision by the INDIA bloc to skip the customary tea meeting underscored the strained atmosphere that prevailed throughout the session.