Upper hand to back foot: How BJP narrative took a hit in Monsoon Session

As the Monsoon Session concluded Thursday, it was the BJP that appeared on the defensive, as the Opposition stuck to its stand that Union Home Minister Amit Shah must answer specific allegations of police excesses on July 20. In the end, amid the Opposition’s protests, Shah did not end up making a statement. Amid the deadlock, Bills were pushed through without adequate debate. However, the government could not push through the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which required a simple majority, and recommended it to a Joint Committee of Parliament. Neither the Constitution Amendment Bill to operationalise the women’s quota law nor the Delimitation Bill were introduced, as was expected before the Session, since the BJP remained unsure about its numbers.

In the meantime, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s dismissal of the aspersions cast on the Gen Z demonstrations undercut attempts to build a narrative on the alleged role of external forces in the protests.

“The sarsanghchalak’s comment came at a time when the party was trying to keep up a brave face. It was a big setback for the BJP and the government. The RSS being on a different page when the party is preparing for elections in a crucial state such as Uttar Pradesh is bad news. The BJP leadership has to work hard on setting the narratives right now,” said a national office-bearer of the party.

These developments come at a time when there is growing disquiet among sections of the ruling party over the delay in announcing Nitin Nabin’s team. “The new president has been appointed for three years. Eight months are already over and there is no new team for him. We have been hearing about a Cabinet reshuffle, but nothing has happened so far. The USP of the Modi government and the BJP was decision-making. We criticised the UPA government for its policy paralysis and now our party is also dragging its feet on decisions,” said a senior MP.

BJP sees the silver lining

Some senior BJP leaders admitted that the Monsoon Session had been “a failure” but claimed that the “damage for the Opposition was bigger” as it could not establish a narrative “by repeatedly changing the goalpost” in Parliament.

“Parliament cannot function like this. They kept shifting not just the goalpost but the field itself. Whenever we agreed on the issues to be debated, the Opposition changed its stance. You ask for the Home Minister’s statement and when he is ready, you cannot say that ‘we do not want to listen to his lectures’,” said Sanjay Jaiswal, the BJP’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha.

Another BJP leader said the government pushing through 12 Bills amid such stormy scenes was a “legal and constitutional” success.

Surprised by Speaker, RS Charman

BJP sources, however, admitted the Jantar Mantar protest, the allegations of police excesses, Pradhan’s resignation, Amit Shah not addressing the House, and electoral setbacks in Bankipur and Datia, and the decision to send the FCRA amendment Bill to the Joint Committee had made it appear that the government was on the back foot. BJP allies, too, have raised questions about the way the student protest was handled, sources said.

In Parliament, too, the BJP was surprised that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla did not suspend “MPs who were not allowing the House to function”, party insiders said. Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan asking the Treasury Benches to “echo the sentiments of the Opposition” and convey the demand for Shah’s presence in the House also left many in the party “stunned”, insiders said.