With hours left, Parliament heads for a tense Monsoon Session finish

Parliament’s Monsoon Session will enter its final day on Thursday with the government and Opposition still locked in a standoff over the student protests, after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s offer of an extended debate failed to break the deadlock in the Lok Sabha.Shah offered to participate in a detailed discussion on the protests and allegations of police action against students. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, however, rejected the proposal, saying the Opposition wanted a direct answer on who ordered the use of pellet guns and force against protesters rather than a “lecture” from the Home Minister.The Lok Sabha was eventually adjourned for the day amid sloganeering despite repeated appeals from the government to allow the discussion.AMIT SHAH OFFERS EXTENDED DEBATEThe confrontation began soon after the Lok Sabha assembled at 11 am on Wednesday. Shah said the government was ready to discuss all issues concerning the student protests and asked the Opposition to submit a written request to Speaker Om Birla.He offered to begin the discussion at 3 pm on Wednesday and continue it until 3 pm on Thursday. “Even today, I say that they should submit a letter to the Speaker by 2 pm. We are ready for all kinds of discussions from 3 pm today until 3 pm tomorrow,” Shah said.He later wrote to the Speaker, saying he was prepared to remain present throughout the debate and respond to questions raised by the Opposition.Shah said dialogue and discussion were the only ways to resolve issues in a democracy and maintained that the government had nothing to hide.The Opposition, however, did not accept the offer.‘IF HE ORDERED IT, HE SHOULD RESIGN’Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition was not interested in listening to what he described as Shah’s “imagination” or a lengthy lecture.He said young people wanted to know who ordered the use of pellet guns, lathi charges and other force against protesting students.“If Mr Amit Shah gave the order to shoot our children, he should resign because he is culpable, and if he did not, he should resign because he is incompetent,” Gandhi said.He argued that the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force come under the Home Ministry and questioned Shah’s responsibility for the alleged police action.Gandhi later posted a video of his remarks on X, saying Shah’s silence amounted to a “confession”.Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi also questioned why the Home Minister had not participated in an earlier proposed discussion on education and student protests.He said Shah should make a statement in Parliament on the police action against protesters and allegations surrounding the use of AK-47s in Bihar.GOVERNMENT ACCUSES OPPOSITION OF AVOIDING DEBATEThe government, in turn, accused the Opposition of refusing the very discussion it had been demanding.When the Lok Sabha met again at 3 pm after two adjournments, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to begin the debate immediately and pointed out that Shah had already written to the Speaker.He urged the Opposition not to “run away” when the Home Minister was prepared to answer its questions.Presiding officer Jagdambika Pal also repeatedly appealed to Opposition members to allow proceedings to continue, but protests and sloganeering persisted.The House was eventually adjourned for the day.Rijiju later called it “unthinkable and incomprehensible” that the Opposition was refusing a discussion when the government had agreed to one.WHY THE STUDENT ROW HAS DOMINATED THE SESSIONThe student protests have emerged as one of the main flashpoints of the Monsoon Session.The Opposition has demanded accountability over police action against students protesting the NEET paper leak, including allegations of pellet gun use, lathi charges and tear gas at Jantar Mantar.Congress has also repeatedly sought statements from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah.The government has maintained that it is willing to discuss the issue, but disagreement over the scope and nature of the debate has repeatedly disrupted proceedings.With the session ending on Thursday, there has been no breakthrough so far.FCRA BILL SENT TO JPCEven as the student row kept Parliament on edge, the government managed to move ahead on several pieces of legislative business.The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday adopted a motion referring the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee. The Lok Sabha had already approved the referral.The JPC will comprise 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha and has been asked to submit its report by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session.Introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, the Bill proposes tighter oversight of foreign contributions received by NGOs and other organisations. It also provides for a designated authority to manage and dispose of assets if an organisation loses its FCRA licence.The Opposition has opposed the legislation, alleging that some provisions could affect legitimate foreign funding for Christian NGOs and minority-run social welfare and educational institutions.The government has rejected the charge, saying the Bill is not religion-specific and is aimed at regulating foreign contributions.Congress MP KC Venugopal demanded that the legislation be withdrawn, while Rijiju pointed out that Opposition parties had themselves sought its examination by a parliamentary committee and urged them to raise their objections before the JPC.KERALA TO BECOME KERALAMParliament also cleared legislation to officially change Kerala’s name to Keralam.The Rajya Sabha passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, by voice vote on Wednesday, a day after it was cleared by the Lok Sabha.The move follows a resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly in 2024 urging the Centre to change the state’s name.The Bill provides for the alteration of the name and consequential amendments to the Constitution, including the First Schedule.RAJYA SABHA CLEARS NCDC AMENDMENT BILLThe Rajya Sabha also passed the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, a day after it cleared the Lok Sabha.The legislation expands the powers of the National Cooperative Development Corporation, allowing it to provide loans and grants directly to cooperative societies.The NCDC, a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Cooperation, will also be allowed, with prior approval from the Centre, to participate in the share capital of cooperatives and other entities involved in cooperative development.The changes are aimed at widening the channels through which financial assistance can reach the cooperative sector.FINAL DAY, STUDENT PROTEST ROW STILL UNRESOLVEDThe Monsoon Session began with the Opposition raising the NEET paper leak and alleged irregularities involving donations to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, before the political focus shifted sharply to police action against protesting students.The issue has since dominated proceedings and contributed to repeated adjournments.The government’s last-minute offer of an extended discussion on Wednesday failed to end the impasse.The Lok Sabha will meet again at 11 am on Thursday for the final scheduled day of the session, leaving only a narrow window for the two sides to find common ground.For now, the government says it is ready to debate. The Opposition says it first wants a direct answer on accountability. That divide remains unresolved as the Monsoon Session heads into its final day.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Aug 13, 2026 06:30 IST