In a bid to end the ongoing logjam in Parliament, the government on Wednesday reached out to the principal opposition Congress to end the protests that have repeatedly disrupted proceedings since the Monsoon session began and sought its cooperation in smooth functioning of the House in the remaining days.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to break the persistent deadlock in the House, the sources said.
The meeting, held at Gandhi's office in Parliament House, was described by sources as a "confidence-building measure" by the government.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present during the meeting, which lasted around 50 minutes. Party MPs Gaurav Gogoi and K C Venugopal joined the discussions later, the sources said.
According to the sources, the leaders discussed all pending issues, including the proposed Delimitation Bill and the contentious FCRA Bill.
The meeting was Rijiju's second with Gandhi in the past 10 days.
After meeting Gandhi, Rijiju also met Home Minister Amit Shah at his office in Parliament House. The Opposition has been questioning Shah's absence from the House proceedings.
Sources said Rijiju is also expected to reach out to other Opposition parties, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, as part of the government's efforts to end the parliamentary impasse.
There has been talk in some political quarters about the possible reintroduction of the Delimitation Bill, which was defeated in the last session, and the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill in a special session of Parliament after Independence Day, but government sources said there is no such move yet.
While there is no clarity on whether the Delimitation Bill will be brought in this session itself before it concludes on August 13, sources said Home Minister Amit Shah will speak in Parliament when the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 is introduced in the House for discussion and passage.
Since the Monsoon session began on July 20, the Lok Sabha has not been able to complete its Question Hour. Five bills have been passed without discussion amid din.
The opposition parties initially protested over the NEET paper leaks and alleged theft of donations at the Ayodhya Ram temple. They later pressed for a discussion on police action against students protesting over the NEET paper leak and also demanded the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister and their statements.
On Wednesday too, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm following opposition uproar in the Lower House.
The House was later adjourned for the day.
As soon as the House met, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked members to go back to their seats and allow the House to take up the Question Hour.
"Sloganeering, whether inside or outside the House, is not good for democracy. By showing placards and sloganeering, you are lowering the dignity of the House," Birla told opposition members.
Birla said many members have approached him saying that important questions are listed but the House is not able to take up the Question Hour due to the disruption created by the opposition members.
(With inputs from PTI)
