Parliament adjourned till Monday as Opposition protests over NEET issue continue
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned on Friday, August 7, 2026, until Monday, August 10, following repeated protests by Opposition members demanding that Home Minister Amit Shah address the House over the July 20 police action against protesters marching towards Parliament.
The protesters had been demonstrating against the leak of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) question paper. Opposition parties have insisted that Shah make a statement in the House on the matter, a demand the government has so far resisted.
When the Rajya Sabha assembled at 11 a.m., Congress-led Opposition MPs raised slogans seeking the Home Minister's presence. The Treasury Benches responded with counter-slogans. After the day's listed papers were laid on the table, Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of Shah's continued absence during the monsoon session.
In response, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Home Minister was present in Parliament throughout the day. He added that ministers attend proceedings according to their ministries' agenda, and the Opposition could not dictate which minister should be present and when.
Despite this, the protests continued. As Chairman Dilip Saikia urged members to cooperate and take their seats, the House was adjourned within 16 minutes of Zero Hour. It will now reconvene on Monday, August 10.
In the Lok Sabha, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed without debate. Parliamentary papers and committee reports for the day were also tabled.
The monsoon session has been marked by frequent disruptions over the NEET paper leak and the subsequent police action. The Opposition has maintained that the Home Minister should make a statement in Parliament to clarify the government's position. The government, for its part, has argued that the police action was necessary to maintain public order and that parliamentary proceedings should not be held hostage to demands that fall outside the usual framework.
Procedural rules allow the Presiding Officer to set the agenda for the day, and ministers are expected to attend when their respective portfolio matters are taken up. However, given the public interest in the NEET issue, the opposition has been pressing for a statement on the floor of the House, a request that has so far not been accepted.
The adjournment means that both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha will resume business on Monday, August 10. The duration of the ongoing monsoon session, originally scheduled to conclude on August 14, may be affected by the continued standoff between the government and the Opposition.
Observers note that the repeated adjournments in the first week of August have already shortened the time available for legislative business. Several pending bills, including those related to economic reforms and social welfare, are awaiting passage. The passage of the MSME Development (Amendment) Bill without debate in the Lok Sabha reflects the manner in which legislative work is being conducted amid the protests.
The NEET paper leak case is under investigation by central agencies. Students have held demonstrations in multiple cities, calling for a re-examination and stricter action against those responsible for the leak. The government has announced a fresh exam date, but the Opposition has argued that the process must be made more transparent and that the Minister responsible must address the public directly.
As Parliament heads into the weekend, the next session will be closely watched to see whether the logjam can be broken and whether the government will agree to the Opposition's demand for a statement from the Home Minister.
