New Delhi, July 31 : The Monsoon Session of Parliament witnessed another day of political confrontation on Friday as senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal moved a privilege notice against Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh, accusing him of misleading the Lok Sabha over the police action during the July 20 student protest in Delhi.
In the notice, Venugopal alleged that the minister’s statement claiming that “no firing took place” during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ protest was misleading. The Congress maintained that pellet firing had occurred during the demonstration and demanded that the matter be referred to the Committee of Privileges.
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned until August 3 following repeated disruptions by Opposition members over the alleged use of pellet guns and AK-47 rifles during the student protest and the government’s handling of the issue.
Before the adjournment, Opposition MPs raised slogans in both Houses, with Rajya Sabha members chanting “paper leak ki sarkar” while demanding accountability from the government over examination irregularities and police action against students.
Outside Parliament, members of the INDIA bloc staged a symbolic protest near the Makar Dwar, accusing the government of failing to address the alleged Ram Temple donation controversy. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party MPs and Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav participated in the demonstration.
As part of a street-play-style protest, donation boxes were placed outside Parliament and Pappu Yadav, dressed in saffron attire, enacted a skit symbolising the alleged misappropriation of temple donations. Protesters also raised slogans demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and questioned his absence from Parliament.
Congress leaders simultaneously intensified their attack on the Centre over the alleged crackdown on student protesters. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of filing FIRs against students despite assurances that no action would be taken after the protest was withdrawn. Rahul Gandhi reiterated his demand for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged use of force during the protest.
The BJP also targeted the Jharkhand government, with party MPs demanding a CBI probe into alleged paper leaks and recruitment examination irregularities in the state. Union Minister Annapurna Devi and BJP MPs Sanjay Seth, Nishikant Dubey and Aditya Sahu accused the JMM-led government of compromising students’ futures and attempting to cover up the issue through a CID inquiry.
During the day’s proceedings, the Lok Sabha approved an extension to the tenure of the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025. The committee, headed by BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, will now submit its report during the Winter Session.
The day also saw fresh political sparring over Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s remarks against IIT Madras Director Professor V. Kamakoti, with several vice-chancellors and academicians demanding an apology, saying the comments undermined the dignity of the academic community.
The Monsoon Session continues to witness frequent disruptions as the Treasury and Opposition benches remain locked in confrontation over student protests, examination reforms and other political issues.
