New Delhi:
The eleventh day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament witnessed yet another disruption as both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day, with proceedings in the Upper House halted shortly after commencement to pay tribute to former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren, who passed away early Monday morning.
Rajya Sabha proceedings began with Deputy Chairman Harivansh announcing the demise of the veteran tribal leader, fondly known as ‘Dishom Guru’. Members of the House observed a minute of silence as a mark of respect. Following the tribute, the House was adjourned for the entire day. Rajya Sabha will reconvene at 11 a.m. on August 5.
In the Lok Sabha, proceedings started at 11 a.m., but were immediately interrupted by Opposition protests demanding a discussion on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Speaker Om Birla attempted to proceed with Question Hour and urged the protesting Members of Parliament to maintain decorum. “These obstructions are not good for parliamentary democracy,” he said, appealing to Opposition MPs to cooperate.
With no resolution in sight, the Lok Sabha was adjourned until 2 p.m. At the resumption, the government tried to introduce the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025. However, the Opposition resumed its protest, leading to another adjournment of the House for the rest of the day.
The Bill, which aims to bring structural reforms in sports governance and support India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics, was slated for discussion. Officiating Chairperson Jagdambika Pal requested members to allow debate. “The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 has been brought by the government with the aim of bidding for the 2036 Olympics and a discussion should be allowed,” he said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju questioned the Opposition’s stance, stating, “All parties had agreed to discuss the Bill in the Business Advisory Committee. Why is the Opposition now disrupting the House and wasting members’ time?”
The continuing standoff between the government and the Opposition, primarily over the SIR issue in Bihar, has led to a near washout of the Monsoon Session, which began on July 21. Except for a brief two-day discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, the legislative agenda has remained largely stalled.
Outside the House, the Opposition’s INDIA bloc chose not to hold its scheduled dharna on Monday, as a mark of respect to Shibu Soren. The 81-year-old leader and founder of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha breathed his last at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi.
Earlier in the day, both Houses had listed key items for legislative business, including the introduction of the National Anti Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and statutory resolutions related to Customs Tariff and President’s rule in Manipur. However, none of these could be taken up due to the adjournments.
With only a few working days left in the Monsoon Session, the prospects for passing key Bills appear increasingly uncertain.
