Shashi Tharoor outlines key issues for upcoming Indian Parliament session

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the Monsoon session of Parliament, which begins on July 20, could be "very constructive and productive" if the opposition is allowed to speak. He warned that the government’s usual practice of limiting opposition debate could jeopardise the session’s effectiveness.

Tharoor listed the matters the opposition intends to raise: alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, the NEET exam controversy and its impact on students, rising unemployment and inflation, and the rollout of E20 ethanol‑blended fuel. He also noted three constitutional amendment bills under consideration – delimitation, the "One Nation, One Election" proposal to synchronise Lok Sabha and state elections, and a bill to dismiss MPs, chief ministers and MLAs jailed for thirty days.

The government has listed eight bills for the session and will brief parties at an all‑party meeting on Sunday. Tharoor also highlighted concerns about engineered splits in opposition parties that could boost the NDA’s numbers, and warned that escalating US‑Iran tensions in West Asia could affect India’s oil, gas and other imports as well as Indian workers in the Gulf.