“We must ensure a productive, accountable, and responsible session,” said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, as Parliament reconvened.

However, the Monsoon Session of 2025 began with a thunderstorm, not only in the skies of Delhi but also among the stalwarts of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as well. The Parliament commenced its first working day with tumultuous uproar, staged walkouts, and adjournments, and no bills even having been mentioned, over the Pahalgam terror attack, the Air India crash, and the combustible rise of Bihar electoral rolls. 

The Background: What Happened in Parliament?

The Monsoon Session 2025, which will be held between July 21 and August 21, is among the most important sittings in recent years. It appears months before major elections to assemblies in Bihar, Maharashtra, and Haryana, and within weeks of two national tragedies:

• The 26 people who died as a result of the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad that took 138 lives and resulted in an aviation audit across the country.

Additionally, opposition parties expressed outrage when the Election Commission decided to update the electoral rolls in Bihar before the polls, terming it undemocratic manipulation. Surrounded by this heavy political and emotional background, there was an anticipation of deep debate and high leadership.

Instead, the session opened with disruptions.

The Lok Sabha began at 11 a.m. on July 21 with a tribute to the victims of the terror attack and the plane crash. But just a few minutes into Question Hour, the charges were broken.

Members of Parliament from the Congress and fellow India Bloc parties sought an urgent debate on Operation Sindoor, the government's military action as part of its retaliation for the Pahalgam assault. They blamed the government for avoiding responsibility for lapses in national security. 

Leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, did not get a single speaking opportunity during the first hour, forcing him to give a dramatic press conference outside parliament:

“This is the first day of the session, and the Leader of the Opposition is not allowed to speak? What kind of democracy are we running?”

Within the House, the uproar persisted, and the Lok Sabha had to be adjourned twice before it could be ultimately suspended at the end of the day. An identical situation extended to the Rajya Sabha, where a CPI MP, P. Sandosh Kumar, raised a motion to discuss the attack, electoral transparency, and fears about the interactions with Pakistan. 

The Opposition’s Strategy: United Front

Capitalising on the weaknesses of the government, the INDIA bloc, comprising 24 parties such as the Congress, DMK, RJD, TMC, AAP, and CPI-M, held an online meeting before the session to coordinate on key points. 

Their collective focus:

• Debating national security following Operation Sindoor
• Investigating the Pahalgam intelligence failure
• Protesting against electoral roll revisions in Bihar
• Raising accountability for the AI-171 crash

The opposition lawmakers also appeared wearing black badges and carrying signs that read, “Justice to Pahalgam victims” and “No voter roll manipulation.” 

Their tactic was plain: to leave the focus on the supposed government shortcomings and to guarantee a rocky beginning of the legislative calendar.

Government's Legislative Push: Bills on the Table

Despite the storm, the Centre introduced five bills in the Rajya Sabha on Day 1:

• Bills of Lading Bill, 2024—to modernise shipping logistics
• Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024
• Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024
• IIMs (Amendment) Bill, 2024—to regulate board governance
• Income Tax Bill, 2025—to replace the archaic 1961 IT Act with a modern, simplified version

More legislation is expected in the coming days, including:

• GST Amendment Bill (specific to Manipur)
• Jan Vishwas Bill—aimed at bureaucratic compliance decreases
• Judicial Accountability Bill, amid allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma

However, even in the face of this continuous opposition and outrage, the government might find it very difficult to get any considerable reformation implemented, with walkouts and possibly sittings forced to be adjourned.

Reactions Outside the House: India Weighs In

The public response was instant and intense.

The civil society organisations held candlelight vigils outside Parliament in memory of the Pahalgam victims. Social media users were keen on calling for transparency and fast updates on the military, as well as condemnation of the political mess.

A rather popular view was the fact that no one, neither the opposition nor the government, appeared to be concerned with constructive results. There was a popular meme that portrayed Parliament as a cricket match: no play, all delay. 

TV channels displayed split screens with arguments in Parliament on the one hand and crying families in the plane crash on the other hand. A new mood was born: India has had enough of theatrics in politics and is ready to demand accountability, not scapegoating.

Even veteran leaders joined the chorus:

“This is not a time for walkouts—it’s a time for walking together,” said Sharad Pawar, urging cooperation on national issues.

In the meantime, PM Modi has remained silent on the Pahalgam incident and its collapse of the session, which has attracted further criticism from opposition benches. 

Takeaway: Parliament on Trial

One thing was clear on the first day of the Monsoon Session: Parliament is not an ordinary institution of lawmaking; it is a reflection of the national temper. And it is a mirrored glass, which happens to be cracked now.

The consecutive tragedies of terror and aviation simply ought to have prompted cross-dimensional cooperation and reform. What we witnessed was procedural mayhem and lost opportunities instead.

Although the governmental legislative roadmap took on an ambitious outlook, it cannot be successful without political cooperation. Protest and participation also require the opposition to strike a balance against violence, particularly in matters involving lives and security. 

Final Thought

In a democracy, no disruption is out of place. Dialogue does, too, however. Presently, what is referred to as the Monsoon Session is set to resume, and this, in no way, must turn out to be mere headlines and hashtags before Indian lawmakers can sit down to make meaningful legislation. 

Since there is still hope of rain, the nation is still waiting, in spite of all the thunder.

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