Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said productivity during the Monsoon Session stood at 19 per cent in the Lok Sabha and 39 per cent in the Rajya Sabha, as he criticised repeated disruptions and blamed the Congress for the limited legislative debate. Rijiju made the remarks at a press conference after both Houses were adjourned sine die, saying the session had witnessed “very poor productivity” and expressing disappointment over the extent of disruptions.

Rijiju said 12 Bills were passed during the Monsoon Session, but only one of them was discussed in both Houses. He alleged that the Opposition repeatedly avoided participating in debates despite the government's willingness to hold discussions. “For the first time, we have seen the Opposition running away from debate in Parliament when the government wanted discussions,” Rijiju said, accusing the Congress of being responsible for disrupting proceedings.

The session began on July 20 and was repeatedly disrupted over issues raised by opposition parties. The protests initially focused on the NEET paper leak and allegations concerning the handling of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Opposition later sought a discussion on alleged police action against students protesting over the NEET issue and demanded statements from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

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The government attempted to break the deadlock by offering a debate on the NEET issue followed by a response from Shah. Rijiju said the government had made the offer on Monday, but the Congress rejected it. A similar effort on Wednesday also failed to resolve the impasse. The repeated disruptions limited the time available for legislative business and contributed to the low productivity figures cited by the government at the conclusion of the session.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi defended the Opposition's position and said opposition parties were seeking answers about the alleged police action against protesting students. Gandhi said the Opposition was not interested in listening to what he described as Shah's “imagination and lecture”. He questioned who had ordered the alleged use of pellet guns against protesting students and said that if Shah had ordered the action, he would be responsible, while if he had not, Gandhi argued, he would be incompetent.

The contrasting positions underscored the political deadlock that marked much of the Monsoon Session. While the government accused the Congress and other opposition parties of deliberately disrupting Parliament and refusing opportunities for debate, the Opposition maintained that it was seeking accountability and substantive answers on issues involving students and alleged police action. With both Houses now adjourned sine die, the productivity figures and the failure to reach agreement on key discussions are likely to remain points of contention between the government and Opposition.

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