“Answer us, answer us” slogans marked the collapse of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. On August 13, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned indefinitely. Opposition parties remained firm on two major demands. First, they wanted Amit Shah’s statement over police action during Delhi’s Gen Z movement. Second, they demanded parliamentary discussion on Ram Mandir donation theft.
The government revealed its position during the closing phase. On August 10, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Shah stood ready to respond. However, Rijiju insisted that opposition members must listen and remain inside the House.
Opposition parties then refused compromise over discussion concerning Ram Mandir donations. Consequently, the parliamentary deadlock continued.
On Wednesday, Amit Shah first addressed media and later wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Shah said the government would answer every question. Moreover, he challenged opposition leaders over their unwillingness to discuss issues. According to Shah, they wanted to prevent House proceedings.
Rahul Gandhi responded directly to those remarks. He said the opposition had no interest in Shah’s speeches. Instead, Gandhi wanted answers about who ordered firing against children.
Despite this exchange, proceedings remained stalled. On the final day, Lok Sabha opened amid fresh uproar. Interestingly, Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah both attended. After the full rendition of Vande Mataram, officials adjourned proceedings.
Congress Blames Government While Rijiju Cites Low Productivity
Congress organisation general secretary KC Venugopal blamed the government for the session’s washout. Speaking with ABP News, he criticised its approach. Venugopal said opposition parties wanted answers over force against students. He also demanded discussion on donation theft. According to him, authorities never agreed.
Venugopal further remarked that Modi and Shah appeared only for Vande Mataram on the final day.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi also criticised both leaders. She said neither the Prime Minister nor Home Minister attended earlier proceedings. Priyanka questioned how democracy and Parliament could function like that. She added that both appeared only for Vande Mataram after the session had effectively ended.
Meanwhile, Rijiju evaluated the Monsoon Session from two perspectives. He said legislative business performed strongly, with 12 bills passed. However, discussion remained disappointing.
Lok Sabha recorded 19% productivity, while Rajya Sabha reached 39%. Rijiju said only one bill received proper discussion in Lok Sabha. That legislation concerned preventing cheating. According to him, no other meaningful debate occurred there.
Drawing on three decades of experience, Rijiju said he had never seen opposition parties avoid discussion this way. He claimed the government offered debate while rivals walked away. Rijiju described this development as unimaginable.
He also accused Congress MPs of treating slogans and placards as their primary parliamentary work. According to Rijiju, they arrive each morning, raise slogans, and create disruption.
Face-Offs Continue Outside as Major Government Plans Get Delayed
Tensions also spilled outside Parliament. NDA and opposition MPs confronted each other several times across the complex. Security personnel had to stand between both groups. Meanwhile, loud slogan shouting continued.
Opposition MPs demanded Shah’s presence over the Delhi lathi-charge. They shouted, “Amit Shah, come to the House.” Another slogan demanded, “Amit Shah, answer us.”
During the final week, NDA MPs raised Jharkhand’s student lathi-charge against opposition leaders. They responded with slogans demanding answers from Rahul Gandhi.
Before the Monsoon Session began, discussions surrounded several government plans. These included proposed bills concerning delimitation and FCR. However, continuing opposition protests forced postponement of those moves.
On Wednesday, the government sent the FCRA Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. It also delayed its delimitation plan.
The government had reportedly tried every possible route to secure numbers for the constitutional amendment bill. Those efforts allegedly included possible splits within TMC and Aam Aadmi Party.
Claims also suggested DMK could change its position. Several reports further alleged outreach towards Sharad Pawar’s party.
