Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day on Friday as Opposition members continued protests over the NEET paper leak, alleged police excesses against student protesters and the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition demanded Home Minister Amit Shah's presence and a statement on the July 20 police action against student protesters. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Opposition could not dictate which minister should attend the House, asserting that Shah was present in Parliament every day and ministers attended proceedings according to the business of their ministries.
The Lok Sabha also witnessed repeated disruptions. Amid the din, the House passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 without a debate and tabled listed papers and committee reports before being adjourned.
Both Houses will reconvene on Monday.
The Lok Sabha will table reports of the Committee on Estimates, Committee on the Empowerment of Women, Committee on the Welfare of Other Backward Classes, Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development, and the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare.
MSME Amendment Bill for passage: The Lok Sabha is scheduled to take up the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 for consideration and passing.
Taxation Amendment Bill also on agenda: The House will also consider and pass the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend multiple laws relating to taxation and financial regulations.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday rejected the Opposition's demand for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's presence in the Rajya Sabha, saying it was not for the Opposition to decide when a minister should attend the House. He also said the Chair had not directed any minister to be present.
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for about half an hour on Friday morning as Opposition members continued to disrupt the House, demanding the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah to respond on police action on students who protested against the alleged NEET paper leak.
Opposition MPs led by the Congress raised slogans seeking the presence of the Home Minister in the House, which were countered by the Treasury benches. Amid the ruckus, Chairman C P Radhakrishnan adjourned the proceedings till 12 pm.
Soon after the listed papers were laid on the table of the House, leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of the continued absence of the Home Minister from the House during the monsoon session, which started on July 20.
He said the government was not even respecting the Chairman's comments and insulting the House.
On Thursday, Radhakrishnan told Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to "echo the sentiments of the Opposition" to Shah and "consider the request" for his presence in the House.
Opposition parties have been demanding a statement in the House from Shah on the July 20 police action on protesters marching towards Parliament.
Rijiju, however, said there was no direction from the Chair and that the Leader of the Opposition was misleading the House.
The Home Minister, he said, is present in the Parliament throughout the day.
Ministers attend the Parliamentary proceedings according to the agenda of their ministries, he said, adding the Opposition cannot decide which minister will come to the House and when.
"You had given an observation," Rijiju told the Chairman. "No direction was given by the Chair."
He went on to state that the Congress and other Opposition parties raise slogans and then walk out of Parliament, and that he condemns this act.
Amid slogan shouting, Radhakrishnan called for Zero Hour mentions. A couple of MPs raised issues of public importance in the din.
Half an hour into the proceedings, the Chairman adjourned the proceedings till 12 pm amid unabated slogan shouting.
(PTI)
The Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day amid repeated disruptions by Opposition members who were demanding Home Minister Amit Shah's presence in the House.
As soon as the House met at noon, there was uproar after Chairman C P Radhakrishnan took up the Question Hour.
Opposition party members began slogan-shouting and also raised the issue of alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The Chair went ahead with the listed business of the day amid din.
Members from the Treasury benches protested against the Opposition's continuous disruptions.
As the pandemonium continued, the Chair adjourned the House till Monday.
Earlier, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till noon due to noisy protests by the Opposition.
When the House proceedings began at 11 am, Opposition MPs led by the Congress raised slogans seeking the presence of the Home Minister in the House, which were countered by the Treasury benches.
Soon after the listed papers were laid on the table of the House, Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of the continued absence of the Home Minister from the House during the ongoing monsoon session.
Opposition parties have been demanding a statement in the House from Shah on the July 20 police action on protesters marching towards Parliament. They were protesting against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, or NEET paper leak.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, said that the Home Minister is present in the Parliament throughout the day.
Ministers attend the Parliamentary proceedings according to the agenda of their ministries, he said, adding the Opposition cannot decide which minister will come to the House and when.
Rijiju said that the Congress and other Opposition parties raise slogans and then walk out of Parliament, and that he condemns this act.
Amid slogan-shouting, Radhakrishnan called for Zero Hour mentions. A couple of MPs raised issues of public importance in the din.
The Chairman later adjourned the proceedings till 12 pm amid continuous protests.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Friday reiterated his demand for the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to deliver a statement on police action against protesters on July 20.
Amid the opposition's demand for the Home Minister's statement and constant sloganeering, the Upper House of Parliament was adjourned till 12 noon.
Kharge claimed that the Chairperson, CP Radhakrishnan, had issued a direction to Amit Shah; however, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju refuted the claim.
The Congress leader said, "You (the Chair) had asked the Home Minister to come and deliver a statement in the House. But they (the treasury benches) are not respecting your word and are insulting the House."
Objecting, Kiren Rijiju said that the opposition cannot decide which minister will come to the House and when. Amid allegations of not attending Parliament, he claimed that Home Minister Shah comes to the Parliament complex daily.
The Union Minister said, "The LoP is misleading the House. There has been no direction by the Chair. I am saying this on the record: from the time Parliament begins in the morning till it ends at night, the Home Minister is in the Parliament. The minister responsible for the business before the House gives the reply. The opposition will not decide which minister is to come and when."
"There has been no direction issued for any minister to come to the House. You leave after 11 am but the Home Minister stays. When the Home Minister will answer, you won't listen. They only disturb the House," he added.
(ANI)