Monsoon Session: Govt steps up outreach to Oppn amid House logjam

Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan urged Kiren Rijiju to convey the Opposition's demand that Amit Shah attend the House as the parliamentary deadlock continued

Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan on Thursday asked Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to convey the Opposition’s “sentiments” to Union Home Minister Amit Shah that he should be present in the House. The Opposition has been demanding a statement from Shah on the police’s alleged brutalities against Cockroach Janta Party-led protesters during the July 20 demonstration in the national capital. 

The government continued its outreach to the Opposition to break the impasse, with Rijiju speaking to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. The two had also spoken on Wednesday, when Gandhi told the minister that the Congress and the rest of the Opposition would support a Bill to implement women’s reservation by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections within the existing strength of 543 seats, but would not back the delimitation Bill. 

 

The Opposition remains determined to raise the issue of the alleged police excesses. Its MPs are likely to visit Bihar next week to probe allegations that a policeman used an AK-47 during the protests in the state. 

In the evening, a group of Christian leaders, led by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s P Wilson, met Shah to express concerns over the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. They urged the government either to withdraw the Bill or refer it to a joint committee of Parliament. 

Mizoram CM Lalduhoma and a delegation of church leaders from the state also met Shah and conveyed their concerns over the proposed legislation. After the meeting, Lalduhoma said the FCRA Amendment Bill would be taken up for discussion and passage in Parliament on August 12, but would not come into effect retrospectively. The monsoon session is scheduled to conclude on August 13. 

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) had earlier urged Shah to withdraw the Bill and the notified rules, arguing that both should be redrafted after wider consultations with stakeholders. The proposed amendments seek to significantly tighten oversight of foreign-funded organisations by creating a powerful new authority to seize and manage the assets of non-profits that lose their licences. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25. 

Earlier in the day, when the Rajya Sabha met at noon, Radhakrishnan repeatedly urged protesting Opposition members to stop shouting, assuring them they would be given an opportunity to present their views. He then called on Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to speak. 

However, members of the Treasury benches objected, triggering a heated exchange with the Opposition.  

“If I don't read the rules, if I don't read my matter, should I read what you (Rijiju) give? It’s my right — what to speak, when to speak, how to speak,” Kharge said. 

The Opposition stood firm on its demand that Shah be present in the House to respond to the allegations of police action against protesters. 

 

Radhakrishnan then asked the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to "echo the sentiments" of the Opposition to the Home Minister.

“Now I request you to consider his (Kharge’s) request. He requested the Home Minister come to the House... As Parliamentary Affairs Minister, you can echo the sentiments of the Opposition to the HM,” Radhakrishnan said. 

Later, addressing a press conference, Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah were either “ignoring” Parliament or were afraid to come to the two Houses. Sharing a video clip of Radhakrishnan's remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said: “Hope the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs will follow the clear instructions of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha given this afternoon at 12:16 hours." 

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Rijiju accused the Opposition of deliberately disrupting Parliament, asserting that Modi and Shah remain present throughout the day and are available for discussions. He added that despite the deadlock, legislative business was continuing and Bills were being passed. 

RS clears Bill to appropriate ₹54K cr excess expenditure in 2022-23

 

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday cleared the Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2026, which authorises the withdrawal of funds from the Consolidated Fund of India to cover excess expenditure of around ₹54,067 crore incurred on certain services during the financial year ended on March 31, 2023. The Bill was returned to the Lok Sabha after the members' approval through a voice vote. This completed the Parliamentary process for the Money Bill. 

Replying to the debate on the Bill, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “This is the demand for excess grant for expenditures undertaken in the year 2023 on just two accounts.  

These two accounts were a part of what the Public Accounts Committee in its 39th report presented to the Lok Sabha this year in April”.  

She said one excess demand arises from a particular court order that was on the Railway Ministry for ₹196.44 crore. The second pertains to a larger amount of ₹53,871 crore for repayment of debt. 

However, Sitharaman said the nature of debt receipts is against the issuance of securities and therefore has no fiscal impact. 

 

(PTI)

Over ₹180 cr incurred on PM’s foreign visits in 2025: Govt data

 

Over ₹180 crore was incurred on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to 23 countries including the US, the UK, France, China, and Japan in 2025, according to data shared by the government. 

According to the country-wise and year-wise data shared in a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the figure for the year 2026 so far stood at nearly ₹74.58 crore. This includes the visit undertaken to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand from July 6 to July 11.

(PTI)

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(With PTI inputs)