Rajya Sabha adjourned twice as opposition demands Home Minister over Delhi Police row
Synopsis
Rajya Sabha ground to a halt twice on 29 July as opposition members refused to let Question Hour proceed without the Home Minister present — the flashpoint being Delhi Police's alleged entry into the CPI(M) office to arrest former JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh. With Kharge calling it 'shameful' and Nadda defending it as routine policing, the standoff lays bare a deeper battle over whether security forces can enter political spaces unchecked.
Key Takeaways
Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice on 29 July — first till noon, then till 2 pm — due to opposition protests.
The trigger was Delhi Police 's alleged entry into the CPI(M) party office to arrest student leader Aishe Ghosh , a former JNUSU president, on 20 July .
Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge called the police action 'shameful' and demanded punishment for officers involved.
Leader of the House J.P.
Nadda defended the move as routine law-and-order activity.
Congress member Renuka Chowdhury led demands on the floor for the Home Minister 's presence, echoed by opposition slogans of 'Home Minister ko bulao.'
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the second time on Wednesday, 29 July, till 2 pm, after opposition members brought Question Hour to a standstill demanding the presence of Home Minister in the House over the Delhi Police action at the CPI(M) party office. The disruptions marked the Upper House's second adjournment of the day, reflecting deepening tensions between the treasury benches and the opposition over law-and-order accountability.
What Triggered the Uproar
The controversy stems from an alleged entry of Delhi Police personnel into the Communist Party of India (Marxist) party office to arrest Aishe Ghosh, a student leader and former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU). The incident, linked to a 20 July police action against students, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties who argue it constitutes an overreach into political spaces.
What Happened on the Floor
When the House reassembled at noon, Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan called upon Congress member Renuka Chowdhury to raise her question on malnutrition. Treasury bench interjections prompted a sharp rebuke from Chowdhury. 'Do the members not want to listen to me? Keep quiet,' she said, before pivoting to demand the Home Minister's presence. 'You do not want to listen to my questions, then call the Home Minister. Where is the Home Minister? You open fire at the children,' she charged.
Opposition members joined in with loud slogans of 'Home Minister ko bulao,' making it impossible for proceedings to continue. The Chairman adjourned the House till 2 pm.
Morning Session: First Adjournment
The earlier disruption had occurred after papers were tabled by ministers including Jayant Chaudhary, Nityanand Rai, Prof S.P. Singh Baghel, B.L. Verma, and Savitri Thakur, and a Standing Committee report on coal infrastructure was presented. John Brittas raised the police action issue, after which Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge termed the incident 'shameful' and demanded action against the officers involved.
Leader of the House J.P. Nadda described the police move as a routine law-and-order matter, a characterisation that triggered fresh sloganeering and forced the first adjournment.
Broader Significance
The repeated disruptions underscore a widening fault line in Parliament over the use of police force against student activists and the entry of security personnel into political party premises. Opposition parties have framed the issue as one of constitutional accountability — insisting the Home Ministry answer directly to the House. The ruling side has maintained that police actions fall within normal administrative functioning, a position the opposition has rejected as deflection.
With the House adjourned twice in a single day, the standoff shows no immediate sign of resolution. Whether the Home Minister appears before the House in subsequent sessions will determine if proceedings can return to order.
Point of View
The precedent cuts across party lines. Nadda's 'routine law-and-order' framing may hold administratively, but it does not address the political optics of police entering opposition spaces. The absence of the Home Minister from the House, rather than the arrests themselves, may prove to be the more damaging image from this episode.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the Rajya Sabha adjourned on 29 July 2025?
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice on 29 July because opposition members disrupted proceedings demanding the Home Minister's presence over Delhi Police's alleged entry into the CPI(M) party office to arrest student leader Aishe Ghosh. The chaos made it impossible to conduct Question Hour.
Who is Aishe Ghosh and why was she arrested?
Aishe Ghosh is a student leader and former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU). Delhi Police reportedly entered the CPI(M) party office to arrest her in connection with a 20 July action against students, though full details of the charges have not been specified in official statements.
What did Mallikarjun Kharge say about the Delhi Police action?
Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge termed the police action 'shameful' and demanded that the officers involved be punished. He raised the issue during the morning session before the first adjournment.
How did the ruling side respond to the opposition's demands?
Leader of the House J.P. Nadda described the Delhi Police move as a routine law-and-order activity, rejecting the opposition's framing. This characterisation triggered further sloganeering and contributed to the first adjournment of the day.
What is the opposition's core demand in this standoff?
The opposition is demanding the physical presence of the Home Minister in the Rajya Sabha to answer questions about the Delhi Police action. Members, led by Congress's Renuka Chowdhury, argue the incident is of national importance and requires direct ministerial accountability.
