Rijiju meets Rahul Gandhi as govt seeks to end Parliament deadlock

NEW DELHI: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in an effort to end the continuing deadlock in Parliament, as disruptions in the Monsoon Session forced another adjournment of the Lok Sabha.

According to PTI sources, Rijiju held a nearly 50-minute meeting with Rahul Gandhi in the latter's Parliament office. Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also attended the meeting, which focused on the ongoing impasse in Parliament and the proposed Delimitation Bill.

According to ANI sources, Rijiju sought to know the opposition's stand on the Delimitation Bill during the discussions. There is no move at present to introduce either the Delimitation Bill or the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill in a special Parliament session after Independence Day, government sources told PTI.

They added that Union home minister Amit Shah will speak on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. The meeting came after the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm as Opposition members continued sloganeering over several issues, including the alleged police action against students during the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar.

The Opposition has also been demanding statements from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah in Parliament. Since the Monsoon Session began on July 20, the Lok Sabha has not completed a single Question Hour. Five Bills have been passed without discussion amid repeated disruptions.

As soon as the House assembled on Wednesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged members to return to their seats and allow Question Hour to proceed. "Sloganeering, whether inside or outside the House, is not good for democracy. By showing placards and sloganeering you are lowering the dignity of the House," Birla told Opposition members.

He added that several MPs had expressed concern that important questions could not be taken up because of repeated disruptions. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a breakfast meeting with 37 BJP MPs at his residence as part of his interactions with parliamentarians during the Monsoon Session.

According to ANI sources, the Prime Minister shared personal experiences and held informal discussions with the MPs.

Earlier in the day, Opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, marched from the Gandhi statue at Prerna Sthal to Makar Dwar in Parliament, protesting against Union home minister Amit Shah over the alleged police action against CJP protesters on July 20, the alleged Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation embezzlement and other issues.