Monsoon Session: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Adjourned Till Noon

The Speaker adjourned the House as Opposition members continued their protests, seeking a discussion on the Pahalgam terrorist attack and other issues. He objected to the use of placards in the well of the House.

The protesting members did not relent, despite appeals by the Speaker and Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who urged them to allow the House to conduct the Question Hour.

Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till noon amidst sloganeering by the Opposition. Leaders from Opposition parties moved adjournment motion notices in both Houses to discuss various issues of public importance, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being carried out by the Election Commission (EC) in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi moved an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the SIR, demanding reconsideration of the criteria for electoral roll revision. Expressing concern over the exclusion of Aadhaar and PAN cards from the list of 11 documents allowed for voter verification, Gogoi noted that these documents are essential for accessing government schemes and should not be excluded.

"Today, in India, where Aadhaar and PAN cards are considered essential for accessing any government scheme, considering them invalid for verifying the right to vote points out to a major concern. The Indian Constitution grants every citizen of India the right to vote. The current documentation demand affects marginalised, rural, elderly, and poor voters, who may not possess the documents specified by the Election Commission," Gogoi's notice read.

In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Manickam Tagore also submitted a notice to move an adjournment motion to discuss the SIR and its “threat to democratic rights.” In the Rajya Sabha, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh gave notice for a motion to discuss the "constitutional and electoral implications" of the SIR.

The Opposition moved 12 notices under Rule 267, seeking suspension of the day’s business to allow debate on the listed issues. One of the notices, moved by CPI MP P Sandosh, was on the sudden resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh also submitted a Suspension of Business Notice under Rule 267 to discuss concerns arising from the EC's SIR exercise in Bihar. Congress MPs Ranjeet Ranjan and Neeraj Dangi filed similar notices, also flagging the proposed expansion of the SIR to other states such as West Bengal.

On the first day of the Monsoon Session yesterday, the Lok Sabha was adjourned until 11 am amid opposition leaders demanding an opportunity to speak in the House.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had assured that the government was ready to discuss every issue in Parliament. However, due to continued uproar by the Opposition, the Lok Sabha was adjourned three times.

The House, which commenced at 11 am on Monday, was earlier adjourned until 4 pm due to constant sloganeering from Opposition members. Later, Speaker Om Birla expressed anguish over the disruptions and appealed to members to allow debate and discussion.

Although the House resumed at 4 pm, the ruckus continued, leading to another adjournment until today.

In contrast, Rajya Sabha, after one adjournment in the morning, took up the Question Hour and Special Mentions and also passed the Lading Bill, 2025, after discussion.

Later, in a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of Parliament, it was decided that a discussion would be held on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha. Operation Sindoor was launched by the Armed Forces in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Sixteen hours have been allocated for this debate.

Additionally, 12 hours have been allocated in the Lok Sabha for discussion on the Income Tax Bill, 2025, and nine hours in the Rajya Sabha.

Yesterday, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, submitted his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu.
"To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution," the letter stated.