The Parliament was adjourned sine die on Friday following uproarious protests led by MPs of the Opposition bloc over multiple issues, including controversial remarks by Union Home Minister Amit Shah about Dr BR Ambedkar. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned within minutes of convening as clashes over the remark between ruling and opposition members overshadowed the session.
The session’s closure was marked by a protest march from Vijay Chowk to Parliament by members of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc. This followed dramatic scenes on Thursday, where BJP MPs staged a counter-protest at Makar Dwar, and opposition leaders carried Ambedkar posters demanding Shah’s resignation. The contention arose from Shah’s remark, “It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they took God’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven.” The tension escalated to “physical confrontations,” leaving two BJP MPs hospitalized with head injuries.
Other unresolved issues, including the Sambhal violence, the Manipur crisis, and allegations of Congress links with billionaire George Soros, further disrupted parliamentary proceedings. Despite the chaos, the Constitution debate saw highlights such as Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi’s maiden Lok Sabha speech. In the Rajya Sabha, opposition members moved a no-confidence motion against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Before adjournment, the Lok Sabha referred two bills on ‘One Nation, One Election’ to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The JPC, initially planned to include 31 members, was expanded to 39 after concerns were raised by former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and others about inadequate representation.
The revised committee comprises 27 Lok Sabha members and 12 from the Rajya Sabha. However, it still excludes members from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party.
The JPC includes prominent leaders such as former Union ministers Anurag Thakur and Parshottam Rupala, alongside first-term MPs like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Bansuri Swaraj, and Sambit Patra. The committee has been tasked with determining whether the Constitution can be amended to enable simultaneous national and state elections. Critics, including opposition MPs, argue that this move could disproportionately benefit the ruling party and undermine regional parties’ autonomy.
The committee is expected to submit its report by the first day of the last week of the next session. Meanwhile, BJP MP PP Chaudhary has been appointed chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee to examine the simultaneous polls bill, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said. (With inputs from agencies)