Parliament's Monsoon Session Faces Turbulent Start Amid Protests

Disruptions Mark the Opening of the Monsoon Session

New Delhi, July 20: The Monsoon Session of Parliament commenced with significant disruptions on Monday, as both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha faced multiple adjournments.

Members of the Opposition engaged in loud protests regarding the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 exam paper, police actions against demonstrators in Delhi, and accusations of donation misappropriation related to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Throughout the morning, both Houses experienced interruptions before 2 pm, as Opposition MPs raised slogans, displayed placards, and demanded discussions on what they termed pressing national issues.

In the Lok Sabha, the session was adjourned four times due to the Opposition's disruptions right from the beginning.

As the House convened at 11 am for Question Hour, Opposition members immediately began chanting slogans calling for accountability regarding the alleged NEET paper leak and the supposed donation theft at the Ram temple, leading Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the session until noon.

Before the adjournment, Birla expressed his dissatisfaction with the Opposition's behavior, particularly their chanting during the obituary references for six former Members of Parliament, stating that such actions set a negative precedent.

Upon reconvening at noon, the protests persisted, resulting in another adjournment until 12:30 pm.

Prior to the adjournment, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced a Bill aimed at replacing the ordinance that increased the number of sanctioned Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.

When the House reconvened at 12:30 pm, similar scenes unfolded, with repeated calls from the Chair to proceed with Zero Hour being ignored as Opposition members continued their protests.

Presiding officer Dilip Saikia adjourned the House until 1 pm. However, when the session resumed, the protests continued unabated.

Saikia urged Opposition MPs to take their seats and engage in discussions, asserting that the government was open to debating all public issues.

He stated, "The House is ready for discussions on various issues. But you are not interested. You don't want to discuss people's issues. This is not the way. You are disrupting the House repeatedly. You are showing banners and posters, which is not acceptable."

With the Opposition remaining unyielding, the House was adjourned once more until 2 pm.

The Rajya Sabha experienced a similarly chaotic session, with proceedings being adjourned four times before 2 pm due to protests related to the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) demonstration at Jantar Mantar and the alleged NEET paper leak.

Shortly after the papers were presented and newly elected members took their oaths, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge attempted to raise the NEET-UG 2026 issue, emphasizing its significance for the future of countless students.

Kharge claimed that many students protesting at Jantar Mantar had faced police violence, accusing the government of attempting to stifle the protests.

"The government is trying to beat them down and suppress the issue," he asserted, as Opposition members stood up chanting "shame, shame."

In the midst of the uproar, Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan adjourned the House until noon.

When the House reconvened, disruptions continued, with Opposition members chanting in support of the protesting students and against the alleged police actions.

They also raised concerns regarding the alleged donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The ongoing sloganeering led to successive adjournments at noon, 12:30 pm, and 12:50 pm, before the House was finally adjourned until 2 pm.