With discord echoing through the chambers, the 14th day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament saw both Houses adjourned early, even as two significant pieces of legislation were pushed through under the shadow of Opposition protests and a surging external economic crisis.
As chants and sloganeering filled the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the government went ahead with passing the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Lower House and the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025 in the Upper House. The former was cleared without debate, drawing sharp criticism from the Opposition.
Tensions peaked over multiple issues, from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar to escalating trade tensions with the United States. Speaker Om Birla attempted to proceed with the Question Hour, entertaining queries related to the Smart City Mission, but after a brief ten-minute attempt, gave in to the din.
“This is not the way. You just don’t want the House to function,” the Speaker said, before adjourning the proceedings.
In the Rajya Sabha, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he had received 25 notices under Rule 267 from members seeking to suspend the listed business of the day to take up their concerns. All were rejected on procedural grounds.
Despite the procedural gridlock, legislative business was pursued. The Coastal Shipping Bill, intended to boost domestic maritime trade, was passed following a short discussion in the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha’s clearance of the Manipur GST Bill, however, took place without any deliberation—further fuelling the Opposition’s ire.
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Parallel to domestic developments, external economic tensions took centre stage with US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose punitive tariffs on Indian exports drawing sharp criticism across the political spectrum. The White House on Wednesday announced a 25 per cent duty, later doubled to 50 per cent, on a range of Indian goods, in response to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
The move has rattled trade-dependent sectors such as textiles, marine products and leather, with India officially condemning the tariffs as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”
In an unusually sharp intervention, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, slammed the White House policy and urged the Prime Minister to resist pressure tactics.
“The Prime Minister should not override the interests of Indian citizens on this matter,” Gandhi stated, referring to the tariff escalation. He went on to call the American move “economic blackmail”, a description that has gained traction both inside and outside the Parliament complex.
The Congress moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha seeking a debate on what it termed the “unfair” imposition by Washington, even as it simultaneously pledged support to the government’s diplomatic response.
With both Houses standing adjourned till 11 a.m. on August 8, the Monsoon Session continues to highlight the complex overlap of domestic disruptions and global headwinds shaping India’s political discourse.
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