Monsoon session stalls amid protests, opposition skips traditional tea gathering

Parliament's monsoon session was marred by continuous opposition protests, leading to a sharp decline in debate activity—19% in the Lok Sabha and 39% in the Rajya Sabha. At the session's close, Congress and its allies deliberately avoided the traditional tea gathering in Speaker Om Birla's chamber, a move highlighted by the BJP as evidence of Rahul Gandhi's alleged arrogance. Despite the turmoil, the government succeeded in passing twelve bills, with only the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill receiving opposition support for discussion on the NEET-UG paper leak.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill was sent to a joint parliamentary committee following objections from opposition parties and church groups. A widely anticipated constitutional amendment to expand Lok Sabha membership and introduce a one-third women’s quota was not advanced. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Congress of shifting demands, and BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad warned that such conduct could cost the opposition future electoral support.