Congress launches scathing attack on government over Parliament session prorogation

In New Delhi, the Congress launched a scathing attack on the Modi government at the Centre on Monday, 9 November 2026. The main allegation of the Congress is that by not proroguing (the official termination of a session) the Monsoon Session for 88 days, the government has set a new record.

Congress General Secretary and Communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh, while providing detailed information on the social media platform 'X', stated that the motive behind this delay is to give Home Minister Amit Shah time to secure a 'super-tainted', that is, highly controversial two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, so that the 'dangerous and destructive' delimitation bill can be passed.

According to a report by The Hindu, the Monsoon Session of Parliament was adjourned sine die on 13 August 2026. Since then, 88 days have passed, yet the session has not been prorogued. Citing the authoritative book on parliamentary procedure, 'Kaul and Shakdher', Jairam Ramesh stated that page number 192 of this book, published in mid-2024, clearly mentions that the period between the adjournment of the Lok Sabha and prorogation is usually 2 to 4 days. According to footnote 53 of this book, the previous maximum period was 28 days, which was recorded during the 2015 Monsoon Session.

However, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, in a letter written to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on 19 October 2026, stated that in 2008, the Monsoon Session was not prorogued for 87 days, which was a record at that time. On this, Jairam Ramesh questioned why this information is not in the 'Kaul and Shakdher' book. He further added that in 2008, that period was decided with the consensus of all parties, as the circumstances were different at that time. But in the current situation, the government has deliberately broken this record.

Congress has alleged that the government is in a hurry to bring the delimitation bill. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi four times in the last six months, requesting that an all-party meeting be called on delimitation so that all proposals can be discussed transparently before bringing any law. However, the Prime Minister has consistently refused this demand. The Congress leader warned that if the government adopts a 'bulldozer strategy' again, the unity of the opposition parties will defeat it again, just as it was done on 17 April 2026.

Due to both houses of Parliament not being prorogued, speculations have intensified that the government may call a session of Parliament on short notice. To call an extended or special sitting in the current session of Parliament, only two days' notice is required, whereas to call a new session, at least 14 days' notice must be given. In this situation, there are discussions that the government may use this option to pass the Women's Reservation Bill and constitutional amendments related to delimitation.

Parliament is India's supreme legislative body, responsible for making laws and fixing the accountability of the government. According to the Indian Constitution, the President has the power to prorogue the houses of Parliament. Prorogation means the official end of a session, which is done after the session is adjourned. According to past parliamentary traditions, this process was completed within a fixed time frame, so that transparency in parliamentary functioning is maintained.