Parliament's Monsoon Session ends amid NDA-INDIA bloc face-off; Amit Shah, Modi attend House

The Monsoon Session of Parliament ended on Thursday amid a face-off between MPs of the ruling NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc near the Makar Dwar.

On the final day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the Lok Sabha but did not speak. The House was adjourned after a full rendition of "Vande Mataram". Meanwhile, Opposition MPs boycotted the Speaker's tea reception.

Outside Parliament, the Opposition staged protests and raised slogans over police excesses against job aspirants in Jharkhand and the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

NDA MPs, meanwhile, demanded answers from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and accused him of "running away" from a debate on student protests across the country. INDIA bloc MPs, in turn, demanded accountability from Shah over police excesses during the July 20 student protests over paper leaks.

Security personnel formed a cordon between the two groups of protesting MPs to prevent any untoward incident.

Before the face-off, NDA and INDIA bloc MPs held separate protests near the Makar Dwar.

NDA MPs sat on the steps of the Makar Dwar and raised slogans against Gandhi, accusing him of avoiding a debate on student protests in Jharkhand.

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut criticised the Opposition, saying it had no issues to raise after initially seeking a discussion and later demanding answers. "The Opposition has no issue when it comes to development, the country's progress, the economy or defence. When they have no issue left, they are throwing their tantrums here," she said.

The Opposition MPs, mostly from the Congress, Samajwadi Party and TMC, lined up behind a large banner that read, "Chanda kisne loota hai?" and raised slogans against the BJP.

INDIA bloc MPs have been protesting for around three weeks, demanding Shah's presence in the House and a statement from him.

The government's offer of a debate and Shah's reply failed to break the deadlock, with the Congress insisting that the Home Minister's response should specifically address who ordered the firing of pellets against students.

The Congress has also maintained that its demand for a discussion on the alleged theft of funds at the Ram temple is "non-negotiable".