New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday claimed that never before had a government been so “scared and rattled” as the Modi government was during the just-concluded Monsoon Session, and the BJP leadership was seen “running away” from Parliament.
The Congress also claimed that opposition unity and solidarity was on full display during the entire duration of the session.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah stayed away from parliamentary proceedings, appearing only on the last day just before the House was adjourned sine die.
“I want to remind you that the Monsoon Session has been washed out and 11 years ago in 2015, the Monsoon Session was washed out and the reason was the Vyapam scam. After 11 years, again an issue related to the youth resulted in a washout,” Ramesh said at a press conference here alongside Congress’ Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi.
“So, nothing has changed in 11 years. There were laws made and now reels are being made but nothing has changed,” Ramesh said.
Opposition unity was on display during the session as leaders of the INDIA bloc would meet every day in the chamber of Mallikarjun Kharge, he said.
“We walked together on the path we collectively decided,” Ramesh said.
The Rajya Sabha Sabha MP said there were five big achievements for the Congress and the opposition in this session.
He said one success was that the ‘One Nation, One Election’, which the government wanted to bring, was put off till the Winter Session as the opposition raised several questions and the report was not brought.
The other big success was that the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025 was not brought as the joint committee examining it could submit its report, he said.
“We objected and raised questions and that report was also put off,” he said.
Ramesh said the third success of the opposition was that the constitutional amendment Bill that proposed that the prime minister or a chief minister be removed from office automatically if they are arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days could not be brought as this report also do not come due to collective pressure exerted by the opposition.
Ramesh said the FCRA Bill being sent to a joint committee was also a success of the opposition, though it wanted the withdrawal of the Bill.
US Vice President J D Vance and Prime Minister Modi spoke and the result is before everyone to see, he said, hinting at the call having a role in the government not going ahead with the FCRA Bill.
But more important was the pressure from the opposition, chief ministers from states such as Nagaland and Mizoram, and concerns raised by civil society, he said.
The fifth success is that the attempt to get a tainted two-thirds majority was underway but could not succeed and the Constitution Amendment Bill involving delimitation could not be brought, Ramesh said.
“They don’t have a two-thirds majority and will never get it,” Ramesh said.
He said the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, were passed without a debate, which was “unfortunate”.
He said the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 will inevitably be challenged in the Supreme Court by one state or the other.
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Ramesh said, “No. one and no. two were not seen throughout the session and only seen just before the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die.”
Despite Bills from his ministry being taken up, Shah did not come to the House, Ramesh said.
In his remarks, Gogoi said, “We have seen many sessions but have never seen the government so scared and rattled as it was this time.”
PM Modi and Home Minister Shah were totally absent from parliamentary proceedings, he said.
“We had impressed upon the government that this session is very important and we want to raise many issues such as corruption in NEET, chanda chori at the Ram temple, ethanol blending, allegations of corruption against BJP CMs, the foreign policy, money being wasted in poorly done infrastructure projects, but these important issues were not allowed to be raised in the House and the government got Bills passed in din,” Gogoi said.
The whole environment that was created led to the resignation of its education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and they were also forced to bring a Bill they had brought earlier as well, Gogoi said.
The Congress demanded three things - resignation of Pradhan, statement by Home Minister Shah on alleged brutalities against students and an apology by the prime minister, Gogoi said.
“We repeatedly called the home minister to come to Parliament during the debate on the anti-paper leak Bill but he did not come to the House during two days of debate. The PM also did not come,” Gogoi said.
The government woke up from its “kumbhkaran sleep” two days before the House was to adjourn and said it wanted a debate, he said.
Shah evaded a statement and it was just an excuse to stay away from the House, he alleged.
“What kind of an excuse is this? The debate was already done during the Bill and the home minister only had to give a statement on who ordered the firing,” Gogoi said.
The prime minister and the home minister came and immediately the House was adjourned sine die, he said.
“They talk of 56-inch chest but that was not reflected in this session. The government was on the backfoot and opposition unity and solidarity was on display,” Gogoi asserted.
The BJP leadership was seen “running away” from Parliament, he said.
