Proceedings in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were adjourned for the day on Friday as persistent protests by Opposition members over the NEET paper leak issue, alleged police excesses against student protesters and the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya continued to disrupt the Monsoon Session.
In the Rajya Sabha, the House was first adjourned till noon shortly after it convened at 11 am as Opposition members, led by the Congress, demanded the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought a statement from him on the July 20 police action against students marching towards Parliament over the NEET paper leak.
When the House reassembled at noon, slogan-shouting resumed, with Opposition members also raising the Ayodhya donation theft issue. Despite repeated appeals from Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, the disruptions continued, forcing the House to be adjourned for the day.
Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge questioned Shah's continued absence from the Upper House during the ongoing session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, said the Home Minister was present in Parliament throughout the day and that ministers attended proceedings based on the business related to their respective ministries.
He asserted that the Opposition could not decide which minister should attend the House or when, and accused Opposition parties of raising slogans before walking out of Parliament.
Amid the din, the Chair proceeded with listed business, including the laying of papers and Zero Hour mentions by a few members, before adjourning proceedings.
The Lok Sabha also witnessed repeated disruptions over the same issues. Opposition members continued sloganeering, demanding a statement from Amit Shah on the alleged police excesses against students and raising the Ram temple donation theft issue.
Despite the protests, the House passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 without a debate. Papers listed for the day and reports of various Parliamentary committees were also tabled.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the government's position, saying Shah attended Parliament every day and remained there till late in the evening. He maintained that the Opposition had no authority to dictate which minister should reply in the House and criticised the protests, urging members to stop disrupting proceedings.
Presiding officer Dilip Saikia repeatedly appealed to Opposition MPs to return to their seats and allow the House to function. However, with the slogan-shouting continuing, Zero Hour was adjourned within 16 minutes, and the Lok Sabha was also adjourned for the day.
The Monsoon Session, which began on July 20, has seen repeated disruptions amid continuing differences between the government and the Opposition over the NEET paper leak, the police crackdown on student protesters and other issues.