All eyes are on Monday when the two Houses of Parliament—the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha—reconvene for the first time after Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Education Minister. While the Opposition INDIA bloc is expected to finalise its strategy for the remainder of the Monsoon Session at a meeting of its floor leaders on Monday morning, sources claim Parliament may face disruptions if the government does not agree to two new demands.
Following Pradhan’s resignation on Saturday, Opposition leaders indicated they are open to allowing regular legislative business and debate, provided Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes an official statement on the floor of the House detailing the scale of the NEET-UG examination leaks.
The Congress is also demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on police crackdowns and the alleged brutality against protesting students.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written to Shah, seeking accountability for the “barbaric assault” on peacefully protesting students and asking whether he authorised the use of “lethal force”, including pellet guns. Gandhi said peaceful protest is integral to democracy and that it is the government’s responsibility to protect protesters and address their grievances through dialogue.
Observers say the Opposition knows the government is somewhat cornered and seems to have shifted its focus from demanding accountability from a minister to holding Shah directly responsible for authorising police action and the alleged use of pellet guns against students.
Notably, the Union Cabinet has cleared a tougher anti-paper leak Bill to strengthen the Public Examinations Act, and the government plans to table it on Monday.
If the government proceeds with introducing the Bill without addressing these demands, it may provide scope for renewed disruptions.
While chairing the Cabinet meeting that cleared the Bill, the PM said that the legislation should be accorded top priority and directed that it be brought before Parliament at the earliest.
However, opposition leaders argue that legislative changes cannot be used to sidestep systemic accountability.
There seems to be another point of view.
As the Narendra Modi government seeks the two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha required for constitutional amendments, the Opposition sees this as an opportunity to stall any move to introduce legislation linked to delimitation.
A constitutional amendment requires passage in both Houses by a special majority—more than half of the total membership of each House and a two-thirds majority of members present and voting. Importantly, the House must be in order at the time of voting.
The Opposition’s arithmetic has also changed since the last session, with parties such as the Trinamool Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) weakened by defections.
If INDIA bloc parties such as the NCP (SP) or the DMK support or abstain during voting, it would change the entire number game. Since constitutional amendments require the support of two-thirds of members present and voting, abstentions, absences, or walkouts by Opposition parties would improve the government’s chance of securing the passage.