Govt offers Amit Shah’s reply, Oppn demands accountability; Tribunals Reforms Bill cleared amid din, 2 major Bills pass Rajya Sabha after Oppn walkout
NEW DELHI: Parliament remained locked in a bitter political confrontation on Monday, with the Opposition and the government failing to break a prolonged deadlock over alleged police action against protesting students, even as the Centre pressed ahead with a substantial legislative agenda and pushed key Bills through the Houses amid uproar.
The day’s proceedings were dominated by the Opposition’s demand for a categorical response from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged use of force against students during the July 20 protests. The government, in an apparent bid to defuse the confrontation, offered a “full and detailed discussion” on the issue and indicated that Shah would respond in Parliament.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju maintained that the government was prepared to discuss the matter, but the Opposition continued to insist on answers on the specific allegations surrounding the police action.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, however, rejected the government’s formulation, arguing that the issue was not merely whether the Home Minister would speak but who authorised the alleged firing and use of force against the protesters. The confrontation ensured that repeated attempts to conduct normal business were disrupted, with Opposition MPs raising slogans targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.
The continuing impasse prompted Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to make an emotional appeal to floor leaders, urging political parties to allow Parliament to function and stressing that the voice of the people could be heard only when the House conducted its business. The appeal, however, failed to produce an immediate breakthrough, and the Lok Sabha was eventually adjourned for the day and will reconvene on Tuesday.
Amid the disorder, the government moved ahead with its legislative programme. The Lok Sabha took up four significant Bills, including the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Tribunals Reforms Bill was passed without debate amid Opposition sloganeering, while the Mines and Minerals Bill was introduced before the House was adjourned.
The Tribunals legislation proposes a new institutional framework for appointments to tribunals and provides for a National Tribunals Commission, with the stated objective of bringing greater transparency, uniformity and efficiency to the functioning of tribunals. Its passage without substantive debate, however, added another dimension to the Opposition’s criticism of the manner in which legislative business was being conducted amid continuing disruptions.
The Rajya Sabha witnessed a similar confrontation. The Upper House passed the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026 and the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 amid an Opposition walkout. The former seeks to replace the colonial-era 1891 law governing the use of bankers’ records as evidence, bringing the legal framework in line with electronic and digital banking records.
The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill also triggered considerable political attention because of provisions relating to digital payments. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarified in the Rajya Sabha that the legislation does not impose any additional charge or tax on consumers for UPI transactions, seeking to counter concerns surrounding the provision. The Bill was passed after the Opposition walked out of the House.
The simultaneous passage of legislation and disruption of debate has brought the functioning of Parliament itself into sharper focus. Several important Bills have moved forward despite repeated adjournments and Opposition protests, raising questions over the extent of parliamentary scrutiny when political confrontation prevents sustained debate. Today’s proceedings thus offered a stark contrast: the government succeeded in advancing its legislative agenda, but the central political dispute remained unresolved.
With only a few sitting days left in the Monsoon Session, the stalemate has assumed greater significance. The government is keen to complete pending legislative business, while the Opposition is determined to keep the student-protest controversy at the centre of proceedings. The unresolved confrontation could now put further pressure on the remaining days of the session, with both sides showing little sign of yielding ground.
For Parliament, Monday ended as another day in which legislative business moved forward, but political dialogue remained largely paralysed.
