Live: Parliament Monsoon Session Day 5: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 PM amid Opposition uproar over NEET and student protests

"I want to make this absolutely clear, there are three key demands from the students: the corrupt Education Minister must be removed, strict action must be taken against those who assaulted the students, and the Prime Minister must tender an apology to the student community," Rahul Gandhi said, outlining the opposition's firm position. Speaking with journalists, he further stated, "We will not participate in any parliamentary discussion until Dharmendra Pradhan is dismissed from his post."

Explaining the Opposition's position, Rahul Gandhi clarified that students have three main demands: the removal of the corrupt Education Minister, punitive action against those who assaulted the students, and an apology from the Prime Minister to the student community. Talking to media persons, he emphasized that there would be absolutely no debate in the House until Dharmendra Pradhan is removed from his post.

Rahul Gandhi, the LoP in the Lok Sabha, alleged that he was denied the opportunity to address the House, despite Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju taking his name directly while appealing to the Opposition to let the session run. He pointed out that standard parliamentary protocol dictates that a member is allowed to respond when their name is mentioned, but when he attempted to reply, his voice was silenced.

Demonstrations by Opposition lawmakers persisted inside the Parliament complex, with members loudly calling for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to step down over the paper leak issue. Mallikarjun Kharge was also seen participating in the protest.

Despite multiple warnings to keep order in the House, Opposition members, with LoP Rahul Gandhi among them, persisted with their loud chants demanding that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down. As the disruptive protests showed no signs of stopping, the Lower House was adjourned for the entire day. The Lok Sabha's next session is scheduled for Monday (July 27, 2026) at 11 a.m.

Presisting officer Jagdambika Pal criticized the protesting Opposition MPs for disrupting the House proceedings. He explained that although the government is ready to debate the NEET controversy, it must follow parliamentary rules, which require it to be listed on the business schedule following approval from the Speaker and the Business Advisory Committee. Pal emphasized the necessity of taking up Rule 377, which enables lawmakers to bring forward issues of urgent public interest. Invoking the phrase "justice delayed is justice denied," Pal pointed out that the Lower House is slated to debate and vote on the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026.

Chants of "Education Minister, resign" reverberated across the Lok Sabha as Opposition lawmakers kept up their protests while the House attempted to lay official papers on the table in line with the day's updated agenda.

With protests ongoing, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju made a direct appeal to Lok Sabha's LoP Rahul Gandhi, asking the Opposition to support the smooth functioning of Parliament. The minister stated that while the ruling dispensation has consented to hold a discussion regarding the NEET exam paper leak, the Opposition's constant disruptions are blocking it from taking place. Presiding officer Jagdambika Pal also asked the members to maintain order and address the matter at a suitable time without disrupting the daily agenda.

Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan suspended the proceedings of the Upper House until 2 p.m. as Opposition legislators continued their noisy demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The Lok Sabha restarted its session with Jagdambika Pal presiding over the House.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the LoP in the Rajya Sabha, asserted that any statement the Prime Minister wishes to share should be delivered directly inside the Parliament building. He mentioned that only statements made within the House would be viewed as official and credible. Rather than making midnight announcements, the Prime Minister should address the issues in the presence of the Parliament members, Kharge added.

In a post on X on Friday (July 24, 2026), Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Dharmendra Pradhan before stepping into the House. He stated, 'Prior to arriving at Parliament today, terminate Dharmendra Pradhan, offer an apology to the student community, and initiate stringent measures against those who authorized the use of batons, lathis, and pellet guns to suppress student protests.' Mr. Kharge added that the Opposition would agree to hold a debate on the country's education setup only after Mr. Pradhan is removed from his post.

Immediately after the Chair permitted members to raise urgent matters, the LoP in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge stood up to raise the issue of police action, which included a lathi charge on protesting students in the national capital. Following the resulting commotion in the House, the Chair suspended the proceedings until noon.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned until noon on Friday as Opposition members continued their loud protests.

With Opposition MPs shouting slogans once more, Speaker Om Birla appealed to the members to preserve the dignity of the House and allow the scheduled business to go on.

The session in the Rajya Sabha commenced with C.P. Radhakrishnan presiding in the Chair.

Presided over by Speaker Om Birla, the Lok Sabha began its daily proceedings. Speaker Om Birla initiated the session by paying tribute to the brave soldiers who lost their lives in the Kargil War. Since July 26, which is the 27th anniversary of India's triumph, falls on a Sunday when Parliament is not in session, the tribute was paid today.

On Thursday (July 23, 2026), the ongoing deadlock in the Monsoon Session of Parliament entered its fourth consecutive day due to the Opposition's unwavering demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The proceedings of both Houses faced multiple disruptions as the Opposition remained firm on their demand to remove Mr. Pradhan from his ministerial position.

The schedule includes Question Hour followed by the consideration of pending government business listed in the Revised List of Business for Tuesday, July 22, 2026, which remained unfinished.

The day's agenda lists Question Hour and the discussion of any legislative or government work from the Revised List of Business of Tuesday, July 22, 2026, which was not completed on that date.