Monsoon Session Ends: 12 Bills Passed as Government Says It Was Ready to Debate Every Issue, Blames Opposition for Washout

New Delhi: Parliament's Monsoon Session came to a close on Thursday, with both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die amid a continued standoff over police action against NEET student protesters. The government pointed to a dozen bills passed during the session and maintained it had offered the opposition every opportunity for debate, an offer it said was consistently declined.

Government cites bills passed despite disruptions

Even as large parts of the session were lost to repeated logjams, the government said 12 bills were passed by Parliament during the session. Officials placed the blame for the disruption squarely on the opposition benches, saying it did not reflect any reluctance on the government's part to engage.

Shah says the government was ready to discuss NEET issue "in detail"

Much of the session's tension centred on opposition demands that Union Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement, and be present in the House, over the police response to NEET protesters, who had marched toward Parliament on the first day of the session over an alleged paper leak. Breaking his silence on Wednesday, Shah said the government was fully prepared for a detailed discussion on every aspect of the student protests.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Shah said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had already made the government's position clear, that it was willing to take up the issue in full. He asked the opposition to submit a formal letter to the Speaker by 2 pm so debate could begin the same afternoon at 3 pm, adding that he personally was ready to answer any question raised in the House. "Earlier, they were demanding exactly this. We said yes... Now let the public decide who is running away," he said.

Opposition declines the offer

Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, rejected Shah's offer, calling it an unwanted "lecture." He raised questions over the police action against the students and accused Shah of staying away from Parliament for nearly three weeks, going as far as to ask whether Shah had personally ordered the crackdown and should resign if so.

FCRA Bill sent for further review

Later on Wednesday, the government referred the FCRA amendment bill to a joint parliamentary committee for closer examination, even as opposition parties had pushed for the bill to be scrapped altogether, a move the government presented as a willingness to accommodate further scrutiny rather than force the legislation through.

BJP distances itself from Haldwani ritual row

On Thursday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju addressed the media following the session's conclusion, amid a separate controversy involving a religious "shuddhikaran" (purification) ritual reportedly performed at the Haldwani stage where Congress president and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed a rally on August 8. Congress accused the BJP of promoting caste prejudice through the act; Kharge called it an insult and questioned whether such practices were compatible with democracy and the Constitution. BJP national president JP Nadda said the party does not endorse such activities and promised an investigation. Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan also condemned untouchability, calling for unity on the issue.

Low productivity despite government's claims of readiness

The session's overall figures showed low output, with the Lok Sabha functioning at 19 percent productivity and the Rajya Sabha at 39 percent. Government representatives argued that the numbers reflected opposition disruption rather than any lack of readiness to legislate or debate on their part, pointing to Shah's public offer and the FCRA committee referral as evidence of their willingness to engage right through the session's final day.

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