New Delhi, August 18(HS): The Parliament’s Monsoon Session resumed today after a five-day hiatus, only to be immediately engulfed in high drama as Opposition MPs staged heated protests and disrupted proceedings in both Houses. As the Lok Sabha attempted to reconvene, raucous scenes unfolded with members of the INDIA alliance demanding a discussion on the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, alleging ‘vote chori’ and manipulation by the ruling BJP and Election Commission.

Speaker Om Birla, presiding over a turbulent Lok Sabha, repeatedly called for order, warning of stern consequences if parliamentary property was damaged. Despite his appeals, uproar persisted throughout Question Hour, with Opposition MPs refusing to relent. The House was forced into an unscheduled adjournment until noon.

Simultaneously, scenes of dissent played out in the corridors as TMC leaders, including Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra, staged a protest over the ‘Bengali language row’ outside Parliament, further fuelling the charged atmosphere.

Rajya Sabha proceedings mirrored Lok Sabha’s turmoil, commencing with an obituary reference to former Nagaland Governor and BJP veteran L. Ganesan before descending into bedlam. Deputy Chairman Harivansh reported that 19 Rule 267 suspension notices submitted by various MPs failed to meet procedural norms, citing reasons ranging from improper motion terms to missing dates and sub-judice matters. As dissent intensified, and BJP MP Dinesh Sharma’s remarks on renaming roads after historical invaders fell on deaf ears amid the chaos, Harivansh adjourned proceedings until 2 PM.

Congress Rajya Sabha MPs, including Syed Naseer Hussain, Ranjeet Ranjan, Rajani Patil, and Neeraj Dangi, had actively pushed for an emergency debate citing ‘threats to the foundational principles of electoral democracy’. So far, no discussion on the Bihar SIR has taken place, keeping tensions at a boil.

Meanwhile, the day's legislative agenda includes the introduction of The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, by MP Piyush Goyal. The bill is set to be referred to a Select Committee and aims to decriminalise and rationalise certain offences to further enhance the trust-based governance landscape for ease of doing business.

A special Lok Sabha session is also scheduled to honour Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for his pioneering space visit, marking India's advancing ambitions in the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and the nation’s growing space programme. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed hope for cross-party support in recognizing the achievements of Indian scientists, reminiscent of recent consensus during Operation Sindoor discussions.

As the Monsoon Session unfolds, all eyes remain on Parliament for further developments, with key legislative reforms and fierce political debates on the horizon.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar