Cong Slams Modi Govt Over Prorogation Delay, Alleges Bid for ‘Super Tainted’ 2/3 Majority
Jairam Ramesh questions secrecy over delimitation proposals and demands an all-party meeting to build consensus
NEW DELHI, Sept 11: The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of setting a new record for delaying the prorogation of Parliament and alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was attempting to secure a two-thirds majority for passing a Constitution Amendment Bill related to delimitation.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the gap between the adjournment sine die of Parliament and its prorogation had reached 29 days, surpassing the previous record of 28 days set during the 2015 Monsoon Session.
Ramesh said the delay in proroguing the 2026 Monsoon Session was continuing to grow, while the gap is normally limited to three or four days.
Taking aim at Shah, the Congress leader alleged that the home minister was seeking to rebuild support for the Constitution Amendment Bill after the government suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026.
According to Ramesh, the government was using political pressure, incentives and other means to persuade lawmakers who had previously opposed the legislation to change their position. He claimed that splits had already been engineered in three parties that voted against the bill.
Ramesh further alleged that the government did not currently have the required numbers but was relying on what he described as “bravado, bluff and bluster”.
He also questioned the decision to keep Parliament’s Monsoon Session without formal prorogation, saying the government could convene another session whenever required. He accused the government of attempting to create uncertainty and keep the Opposition under pressure.
The Congress leader also renewed his demand for an all-party meeting to discuss the government’s proposals on delimitation. He said Opposition parties had been seeking such a meeting since mid-March to ensure the broadest possible consensus on an issue with major implications for the country’s political system.
Ramesh questioned why the government was maintaining what he described as secrecy around the delimitation proposals and said the issue was too important to be handled without wider political consultation.
The Congress has repeatedly alleged that the delay in proroguing Parliament was linked to efforts to secure additional support for the Constitution Amendment Bill.
The government had suffered a defeat on April 17 when the bill concerning delimitation and implementation of women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.
Of the 528 MPs who participated in the vote, 298 supported the legislation while 230 opposed it. The bill required 352 votes to pass with the necessary two-thirds majority.
