Parliament logjam: Opposition sets two conditions for House to function
NEW DELHI: The monsoon session of Parliament is facing the prospect of a complete washout as opposition parties have made it clear that the government must agree to a discussion on two contentious issues for the legislature to function normally. The demands — a debate on the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on police action against students — have created a stalemate between the ruling dispensation and the opposition.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah from both Houses of Parliament was an insult to democracy. Opposition leaders have repeatedly asked why the two senior leaders have not been present to respond to questions and participate in debates during the current session.
Despite the continuing protest, the Lok Sabha passed a bill to replace an ordinance that increased the number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38. The bill was passed without any discussion, drawing sharp criticism from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who accused opposition members of not participating in the debate. He also claimed that Congress MPs had no one to guide them, and noted that Rahul Gandhi was absent from the House.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, amid the commotion, introduced the Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, which seeks to replace a British-era law. The proposed legislation aims to make all forms of records maintained by banks — including digital and cloud-based records — admissible as evidence in court, in tune with the banking system's growing reliance on digital infrastructure.
The opposition's position was also conveyed at the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, where Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav and Congress's Kodikunnil Suresh took the lead in demanding a discussion on the Ram temple donation issue, with an intervention by the Prime Minister. Their demand was backed by the Shiv Sena, NCP-SP, and other opposition MPs. The opposition also insisted on a statement by Amit Shah regarding the police action on students.
Rijiju defended the government's position, saying that the opposition's demands were separate from the legislative business of the House. He urged opposition MPs to participate in discussions on bills, stressing that important legislation was pending. 'The Congress has completely fallen apart,' he said, referring to the absence of Rahul Gandhi.
The standoff has raised serious questions about the productivity of the monsoon session, which is crucial for passing government business. The BAC meeting, which usually decides the legislative agenda, ended without any breakthrough, indicating that the session may continue to be marred by disruptions.
Congress MP KC Venugopal pointed out that Shah was active in previous sessions but had not been attending this one. A number of opposition MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Dimple Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav, NK Premachandran, Mahua Moitra, Gurjeet Aujla, Deepender Hooda, Mansoor Khan, Manish Tewari, and Jebi Mather, held a protest in the Parliament complex over the temple donation issue.
The development comes at a time when the government has expressed willingness to hold discussions on several bills, but the opposition has refused to relent until its twin demands are met. With both sides sticking to their positions, the chances of any meaningful legislative work in the remaining days of the session appear slim.
