NEW DELHI, July 22: Parliament remained deadlocked for the second straight day on Tuesday as sustained protests by opposition parties over the alleged police action against demonstrators demanding justice in the NEET paper leak case and the reported Ram temple donation theft disrupted proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Repeated slogan-shouting and protests prevented the smooth functioning of both Houses, leaving little room for legislative business. Despite repeated appeals from the Chair, members of the opposition continued raising their demands, compelling the presiding officers to adjourn proceedings several times before calling it a day.
In the Lok Sabha, proceedings began at 11 a.m. with the Question Hour. However, opposition MPs immediately entered the Well of the House and raised slogans over the issues they wanted to discuss. Speaker Om Birla urged members to maintain order and assured them that they would be given an opportunity to raise their concerns in accordance with parliamentary rules.
The assurance failed to calm the protesting members, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House until noon.
When the Lok Sabha reconvened, the disruptions continued. Amid loud protests, ministers tabled official parliamentary papers before the House was adjourned again until 2 p.m. As the stalemate persisted after the afternoon session resumed, proceedings were eventually suspended for the remainder of the day.
The Rajya Sabha witnessed a similar scenario, with opposition members pressing for an immediate discussion on the issues. Shortly after official business commenced, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise the matter of the alleged police crackdown on students protesting the NEET paper leak.
Kharge claimed that demonstrators had been subjected to lathi-charge and tear gas during the protest held on Monday. His remarks triggered sharp reactions from members of the treasury benches, resulting in slogan-shouting from both sides of the House.
The exchange soon escalated into a noisy confrontation, making it impossible for the Chair to continue proceedings. The Upper House was first adjourned for a brief period before repeated disruptions forced another adjournment later in the day.
The ongoing impasse has stalled parliamentary business for two consecutive days, with both the government and the opposition refusing to yield. While the opposition has been demanding detailed discussions on the alleged police action against protesters and the controversy surrounding the reported Ram temple donation theft, the government has maintained that parliamentary procedures must be followed for raising such matters.
The repeated adjournments have delayed legislative work and affected scheduled discussions on key government business during the Monsoon Session.
With no immediate signs of a breakthrough, parliamentary proceedings are expected to remain turbulent unless both sides arrive at a consensus on addressing the opposition’s demands while allowing the Houses to function normally.