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Modi, Shah Eclipsed by Opposition Challenge During Monsoon Session

Modi, Shah Eclipsed by Opposition Challenge During Monsoon Session
Shikha Mukerjee | Modi, Shah In a Fix: How To Tackle Opp. Challenge · deccanchronicle.com

India's Parliament is a meeting place where elected leaders discuss laws and answer questions.

During the Monsoon Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah mostly stayed in their offices instead of going into the meeting hall.

The opposition leaders said the two men were hiding because they were afraid to face their questions.

One big question was why the police used pellet guns on protesters at Jantar Mantar.

Another was about students who were hurt while protesting because NEET exam papers had leaked.

The leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, said Mr Shah was acting like a coward.

Mr Shah wrote a letter saying he would come and talk if the opposition asked him properly.

Because the two leaders stayed away, junior ministers handled important bills, like the one changing Kerala's name to Keralam.

Surveys show that fewer people trust Parliament than before.

This has left Mr Modi and Mr Shah facing a serious political challenge.

Key facts

Parliament session
Monsoon Session
Session dates
July 20 - August 13 (19 sittings)
Leaders who stayed out of the House
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah
Leader of Opposition
Rahul Gandhi
Bills handled by junior ministers
Kerala name change to Keralam; Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill; National Cooperative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill
2024 election vote shares
NDA 42.5%, BJP 37%, INDIA bloc 40.6%
Trust in Parliament (Lokniti-CSDS)
27% in 2021, down from 49% in 2005
Upcoming election
Uttar Pradesh Assembly election due in 2027

Sources

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