NEW DELHI: The government and the Opposition remained deadlocked on Monday, with the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) failing to find a breakthrough despite the Centre agreeing to a detailed discussion on the student protests, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah set to reply.
While the government maintained that it had addressed the Opposition’s demand by agreeing to a discussion on the student agitation, the Opposition made it clear that normal proceedings could resume only if the alleged corruption and mismanagement linked to Ram temple donations was also taken up for discussion.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said after the BAC meeting that the government was ready for a “full and detailed discussion” on the student protests and that Shah would respond to the entire debate.
“Rahul Gandhi had demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement in Parliament regarding the student protests. We have made it very clear that Home Minister Amit Shah will not only make a statement but also respond to the entire debate and discussion,” Rijiju said.
He said the government was prepared to address “every single point” raised during the discussion and asked the Opposition not to disrupt the proceedings.
“We have made our offer,” Rijiju said, while also claiming that there were differences between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party which the two parties needed to resolve.
The Opposition, however, said the government’s offer did not resolve the standoff. Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, who attended the BAC meeting, said the Opposition was seeking clarity on two issues: the alleged police action against protesting students and the alleged corruption and mismanagement related to the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Trust.
“We have not got any specific reply on whether the Home Minister will speak on police action and police brutality against students or not,” Gogoi said.
“The government has also not given any specific reply on whether they are ready to take up the debate on the corruption and mismanagement of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Trust.”
Opposition leaders said an assurance on the student protests alone would not be sufficient.
“The issues of students’ protest and Ram temple are important. The government has agreed to discuss one issue, and I would request it to agree to a discussion on the other issue too,” an Opposition leader said.
Sources said the Opposition also sought referral of the two bills, the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to the standing committees instead of taking them up directly for passage.
It also demanded that the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, be deferred to the Winter Session. The government, however, gave no commitment on the demand, sources said.
Soon after the BAC meeting, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi spoke over the phone with Congress MPs who had attended the meeting and was briefed on the deliberations.
Gandhi is learnt to have told the MPs that the protests should continue unless the Opposition’s demands were accepted.
Significantly, neither the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) nor the proposed Delimitation Bill figured in Monday’s BAC meeting, despite speculation that the government could take up the contentious legislations in the remaining days of the Monsoon Session.
TNIE reported on Saturday that the government had not listed the two bills for discussion in the BAC meeting.