The recently concluded Monsoon Session of the Indian Parliament was marked by sharp disagreements between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition, primarily the Congress party and its allies. BJP leaders, including Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Minister of State Satish Chandra Dubey, accused the opposition of deliberately obstructing parliamentary proceedings and not allowing debates on key bills. Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Rajeev Shukla, countered that the government hurriedly passed bills without allowing adequate discussion, and that the opposition sought to focus on specific issues such as alleged vote theft and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav have been actively campaigning in Bihar through the "Voter Adhikar Yatra," alleging collaboration between the Election Commission and the BJP to manipulate votes. The BJP criticized this campaign, questioning the evidence presented and accusing opposition leaders of politicizing the issue. Actor and Tamil Nadu political figure Vijay, chief of the Tamil Maanila Congress (TVK), made statements criticizing the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for a secret alliance with the BJP, which drew responses from DMK and BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu. A major legislative focus was the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which mandates the resignation of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and ministers if they are held on serious criminal charges and jailed for more than 30 days. Union Home Minister Amit Shah defended the bill as a measure to uphold morality and good governance, citing past instances where jailed leaders continued in office. Shah emphasized that the bill applies equally to all parties, including the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and expressed confidence it would pass despite opposition boycott of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) reviewing the legislation. Opposition leaders criticized the bill as an attempt to undermine democracy and target opposition parties. The bill's provisions include a 30-day bail period before a minister can resume office after arrest. The Monsoon Session also saw debates over parliamentary decorum, with BJP leaders accusing opposition MPs of following party orders to disrupt proceedings. The All India Speakers Conference 2025 convened in Delhi with participation from legislative assembly speakers across 29 states, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, emphasizing the importance of parliamentary functioning in a democracy. The resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was acknowledged by Amit Shah, who noted it was for health reasons. The political environment remains tense with ongoing disputes over electoral processes, legislative reforms, and party strategies ahead of upcoming elections.
#WATCH | Ranchi, Jharkhand: On the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari says,"..BJP wants to insult the public and demoralise politicians by this bill. We are against this. The country is ashamed...This is a joke..I demand that PM Modi and the BJP https://t.co/q2T8T0ikAE
#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan | On HM Amit Shah's statement regarding the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill, Former Rajasthan CM and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot says, "... What is the need to bring a new law?.. If someone is jailed for 30 days, they have to resign. How many people https://t.co/qiLpy2DyJZ
#WATCH | Delhi: BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says, "When the whole country has welcomed the introduction of this weapon of morality and good governance, a handful of opposition parties is openly saying that they do not stand with morality but with shamelessness... A https://t.co/KzTfVRwzGD