Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met a delegation of Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from the tribal community at Parliament House on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The meeting took place on the first day of the session, which is scheduled to run from July 20 to August 13 with 19 sittings.
Ahead of the session, the government had appealed to political parties to ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament and said it was prepared to discuss important issues in accordance with parliamentary rules. According to the state BJP unit, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Prime Minister and sought his guidance during what it described as an "inspiring" interaction.
The delegation included state Tribal Development Minister Naresh Patel; Ministers of State, P.C. Baranda and Ramesh Katara; Lok Sabha Chief Whip and MP Dhaval Patel; newly appointed Rajya Sabha MP Mukesh Rathwa, state BJP Tribal Morcha president and former state minister Ganpat Vasava, BJP MLAs from the tribal community and other prominent tribal leaders from the state.
"The leaders met Prime Minister Modi and received his guidance during the interaction," party leaders said. The opening day of the Monsoon Session was marked by repeated disruptions, with proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha being adjourned several times before both Houses were eventually adjourned for the day.
Shortly after the Lok Sabha assembled, Speaker Om Birla made obituary references to former Members of Parliament and urged members to allow the House to function. However, opposition MPs raised slogans and displayed placards, demanding discussions on issues including the NEET paper leak controversy and the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple, leading to repeated adjournments.
Amid the interruptions, the government introduced a Bill to replace an ordinance increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India, but little legislative business could be completed. Similar scenes unfolded in the Rajya Sabha, where protests also forced repeated adjournments before proceedings were called off for the day, setting a contentious tone for the remainder of the session.