Parliament Monsoon Session Last Day Today (Img: X)
New Delhi: The Monsoon Session of Parliament is set to enter its final scheduled day on Thursday with the government and Opposition locked in a standoff over student protests and allegations of police action.
The deadlock continued after Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered an extended debate on the issue, but Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi rejected the proposal, demanding a direct answer on who ordered the use of force against protesters. The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Wednesday amid sloganeering despite repeated appeals from the government to allow the discussion.
The confrontation began after the Lok Sabha assembled on Wednesday. Amit Shah said the government was ready to discuss all issues related to the student protests and asked Opposition members to submit a written request to Speaker Om Birla.
The Home Minister proposed a marathon discussion from 3 pm on Wednesday until 3 pm on Thursday, saying he would remain present throughout the debate and respond to questions raised by the Opposition.
Shah said dialogue and discussion were the only ways to resolve issues in a democracy and maintained that the government had nothing to hide. However, the Opposition did not accept the offer.
Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition was not looking for a long speech but wanted a clear answer on who ordered the use of pellet guns, lathi charges and other force against protesting students.
He questioned the responsibility of the Home Ministry, pointing out that Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force come under it. Gandhi said that if Amit Shah gave the order for such action, he should resign, and if he was unaware of it, he should also take responsibility.
The Congress leader later shared a video of his remarks on X, alleging that the Home Minister's silence reflected a lack of answers.
The government accused the Opposition of refusing the very discussion it had been demanding. When the Lok Sabha met again after adjournments, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to begin the debate immediately and highlighted that Amit Shah had already written to the Speaker.
Rijiju urged Opposition members not to avoid the discussion when the Home Minister was prepared to answer their questions. Despite appeals from presiding officer Jagdambika Pal, protests and sloganeering continued, leading to another adjournment.
The student protest issue emerged as one of the biggest flashpoints of the Monsoon Session. Opposition parties have demanded accountability over alleged police action against students protesting the NEET paper leak issue.
They have raised allegations of pellet gun use, lathi charges and tear gas during protests at Jantar Mantar. The government has maintained that it is ready for discussion but differences over the format and scope of the debate have repeatedly disrupted proceedings.
Amid the political deadlock, Parliament moved forward with legislative business. The Rajya Sabha approved sending the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee.
The Lok Sabha had already approved the referral. The committee will include 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha and has been asked to submit its report by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session. The Bill proposes tighter oversight of foreign contributions received by NGOs and other organisations.
Opposition parties have opposed the FCRA Amendment Bill, claiming some provisions could impact legitimate foreign funding for NGOs, Christian organisations and minority-run social welfare institutions.
The government has rejected these allegations, saying the Bill is not religion-specific and aims only to regulate foreign contributions.
Congress MP KC Venugopal demanded that the legislation be withdrawn, while the government asked Opposition parties to present their concerns before the JPC.
