Lok Sabha Adjourned on First Day of Monsoon Session Amid Opposition Protests

The first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament turned unexpectedly chaotic. Shortly after Speaker Om Birla called the House to order, he paid tribute to several former members – from Nadendla Bhaskara Rao to Major General Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri – and even acknowledged the late Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al‑Thani of Qatar.

But the solemn moment was quickly eclipsed by a chorus of chants from opposition lawmakers. MPs from the Congress and allied parties rose, shouting for a debate on two hot‑button issues: the alleged irregularities surrounding the NEET‑UG 2026 examination and the much‑talked‑about alleged embezzlement of donations to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.

“Please remain seated. Let’s keep the House functioning,” Speaker Birla appealed, his voice echoing over the din. Yet the slogans kept coming, louder and more insistent, leaving the Speaker with little choice but to adjourn the session until 12 noon.

Congress leaders had signaled their intent well before the session began. Gaurav Gogoi, a senior MP, warned that the government seemed “not ready” to address these core issues, suggesting the agenda was missing altogether. “For several days now, it’s clear the government is unwilling to discuss the basic matters that the nation expects to be debated this monsoon,” he told ANI.

Earlier that morning, Congress MP K.C. Venugopal formally moved an adjournment motion, specifically seeking a discussion on the alleged misuse of funds meant for the Ram Mandir trust. At the same time, several opposition members pressed for a thorough inquiry into the NEET paper leak saga and the student protests that followed.

The Monsoon Session, scheduled to run until August 13, now faces a delayed start. Whether the government will eventually schedule debates on these contentious topics remains to be seen, but the early uproar has certainly set a tone of heightened scrutiny for the weeks ahead.