The Monsoon Session of Parliament ended on Thursday with Vande Mataram taking centre stage in both Houses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other MPs were present in the Lok Sabha when the National Song was played before the House was adjourned sine die.

Six stanzas of the song were played in the Lok Sabha before proceedings were brought to an end. The Rajya Sabha also concluded its proceedings with Vande Mataram.

The move came shortly after President Droupadi Murmu approved legislation giving legal protection to the National Song. Under the new law, deliberately obstructing or preventing the singing of Vande Mataram has been made a punishable offence, placing it on a legal footing comparable to provisions concerning the National Anthem.

The government had earlier laid down guidelines for occasions when the National Song should be performed. A January 28 Home Ministry order specified that its six stanzas should be played at events such as the President's arrival, the hoisting of the national flag and addresses by governors.

SESSION ENDS AMID FREQUENT DISRUPTIONS

The final sitting came after weeks of interruptions in the Lok Sabha.

Proceedings during the session, which began on July 20, were repeatedly disrupted as Opposition parties demanded discussions on several issues, including alleged police action against students during protests linked to the NEET examination controversy and allegations surrounding the Ram Mandir donation theft case.

The disruptions also meant that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla did not deliver the customary concluding remarks highlighting the House's functioning and legislative output during the session.

AMIT SHAH HAD OFFERED TO ANSWER OPPOSITION

The deadlock continued despite Home Minister Amit Shah's offer on Wednesday to participate in a discussion on the students' issue.

Shah had said he was prepared to respond to the Opposition's questions and had urged the Speaker to coordinate with opposition parties to decide the timing of the debate.

However, no sustained discussion took place before the session ended.

BJP, OPPOSITION PROTEST AT PARLIAMENT

Political tensions were also visible outside the Houses.

BJP and Opposition MPs staged competing demonstrations at Makar Dwar in the Parliament complex on the final day.

The BJP targeted Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress had failed to speak out over the protests in Jharkhand. Opposition parties, meanwhile, continued to raise their own demands against the government.

The session therefore ended much as it had unfolded — with political confrontation, competing protests and limited room for consensus.

The closing rendition of Vande Mataram, however, provided a symbolic conclusion to a session marked by some of Parliament's sharpest political divisions.