Ramesh Accuses Modi Government of Delaying Parliament Prorogation, Seeks All-Party Talks on Delimitation

NEW DELHI, Sep 11 : Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of setting a new record by allowing the gap between the adjournment sine die and prorogation of Parliament to stretch to 29 days, surpassing the previous 28-day gap recorded during the 2015 Monsoon Session.

In a post on social media platform X, Mr Ramesh said the gap had reached 29 days during the 2026 Monsoon Session and was continuing to widen, with no clear indication of when the session would be formally prorogued.

"Today, the Modi government has broken its own record set in 2015 and established a new record," Mr Ramesh said, noting that the gap was ordinarily only three or four days.

Mr Ramesh alleged that the delay was linked to the government's political calculations over proposed constitutional and delimitation-related legislation. He claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was seeking to muster the two-thirds majority required to pass a Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha following what he described as a setback for the government on April 17, 2026.

"It is absolutely clear that the Union Home Minister is deeply hurt by the crushing defeat suffered by him and his government in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026, because of his immense arrogance," Mr Ramesh alleged.

He further claimed that the government had engineered splits in three parties that voted against the Bill on April 17 and was attempting to influence other lawmakers through "threats, intimidation and inducements".

"The Union Home Minister does not have the required numbers, but his boasting, bluff and bombast are preventing him from accepting the reality staring him in the face," he said.

Taking a swipe at Mr Shah, whom he referred to as a "self-styled Chanakya", Mr Ramesh alleged that keeping the Monsoon Session unprorogued was intended to create suspense and exert psychological pressure on the Opposition.

"The self-styled Chanakya perhaps thinks that by not proroguing the Monsoon Session he is playing mind games and employing psychological tactics. But this is foolishness," he said.

Mr Ramesh argued that the government could summon Parliament whenever required and for whatever purpose it deemed necessary. He alleged that the continued uncertainty was being maintained in the hope that it would make Opposition parties nervous.

"They are keeping the suspense only in the hope that the Opposition will panic. They can continue to live in that illusion," he said.

The Congress leader also questioned the government's refusal to convene an all-party meeting on its delimitation proposals, saying the issue required the widest possible political consensus because of its implications for India's constitutional and political framework.

"Why is the Modi government refusing to call an all-party meeting to discuss its proposals on delimitation and build the broadest possible consensus, when this is what the country needs?" Mr Ramesh asked.

He said Opposition parties had been repeatedly demanding such consultations since the middle of March 2026 and questioned the secrecy surrounding the government's approach to an issue he described as crucial to the foundations of the Indian Republic.

"Why this secrecy and mystery on a subject so important to the foundations of the Indian Republic?" he asked.

His remarks came amid a wider political debate over the proposed delimitation exercise and its potential implications for parliamentary representation among states. Opposition parties have been pressing the government for greater transparency and consultations, particularly over how any future redistribution of Lok Sabha constituencies could affect the balance of political representation across the country.