Congress MLAs boycott first day’s proceedings at Rajasthan Assembly monsoon session
Congress MLAs in Rajasthan boycotted the first day of the monsoon assembly session to protest government restrictions on outsiders entering schools. The ruling party accused the opposition of using the protest as an excuse to avoid singing the national song.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing political polarization and the use of symbolic cultural issues in Indian state-level legislative proceedings.
The Opposition Congress boycotted the proceedings on the first day of the monsoon session of the Rajasthan Assembly on Thursday (August 20, 2026) in protest against the State Government’s recent decision to restrict the entry of outsiders in the government schools.
The Congress MLAs staged a dharna outside the Assembly and demanded the resignation of State Education Minister Madan Dilawar.
Inside the House, Speaker Vasudev Devnani expressed disappointment over the absence of Opposition members, while the ruling party’s Chief Whip and two Ministers said the Congress MLAs had remained absent to avoid participating in the full rendition of the national song Vande Mataram .
Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg said the Opposition should raise its concerns on the floor of the House rather than creating disturbances outside. Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham accused the Congress of pursuing “appeasement politics” by staying away from the singing of national song.
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