Rajya Sabha adjourned twice as Opposition protests Amit Shah's absence

Opposition parties protest police action against demonstrators and Delhi Police’s attempt to arrest former JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh at CPI(M) headquarters; House disrupted twice before noon

Published – July 29, 2026 08:54 pm IST – NEW DELHI By The Hindu Bureau

The Rajya Sabha failed to function in the first half of Wednesday (July 29, 2026), with the House being adjourned twice as Opposition members questioned the absence of Home Minister Amit Shah.

They demanded a statement from him on the July 20 police action against protesters, as well as on the presence of Delhi Police at the Communist Party of India (Marxist) headquarters to arrest Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union president Aishe Ghosh on Tuesday (July 28, 2026).

The first adjournment came within 20 minutes of the House assembling for the day. The second followed shortly after noon.

‘Democracy under threat’

The day’s proceedings began with Opposition members protesting the entry of Delhi Police personnel into the CPI(M) headquarters in Delhi to arrest Ms. Ghosh in connection with a 2021 JNU protest case.

Raising the issue, CPI(M) member John Brittas claimed that the arrest was prompted by Ms. Ghosh’s recent participation in the demonstration at Jantar Mantar. He said a Delhi Police team in plainclothes had entered the party office to make the arrest.

Supporting him, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said democracy was under threat.

Responding to the charge, Leader of the House J.P. Nadda described the arrest as a routine law-and-order matter and said the police had acted according to procedure. He added that students involved in activism often faced such action, recalling that he himself had been picked up by the police from his classroom during the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government.

Amid the uproar, the House was adjourned till noon.

‘Where is the Home Minister?’

When the House reassembled for Question Hour, Treasury and Opposition benches again clashed after Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury drew attention to Mr. Shah’s absence.

“Where is the Home Minister? Call him here,” Ms. Chowdhury said. “You fire at students,” she added, as Opposition members raised slogans demanding that Mr. Shah come to the House.

Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan then adjourned the House till 2 p.m.

The Rajya Sabha has remained largely non-functional since the Monsoon Session began on July 20 amid continuing confrontations between the government and the Opposition.

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