Samajwadi Party MPs Anand Bhadauriya, Dimple Yadav, and Dharmendra Yadav, and other Opposition members stage a protest over the issue of alleged Ayodhya Ram Temple donations embezzlement, at the Parliament premises during the ongoing Monsoon Session, in New Delhi on Monday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Opposition parties on Monday (August 3, 2026) continued to protest in the Parliament House complex against the alleged donation theft at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and police crackdown on the anti-paper leak student demonstrations on July 20.
Like last week, the MPs kept donation boxes near the Parliament entrance, ‘Makar Dwar’, to symbolise the alleged theft of donations at the temple and lined up around them to raise slogans against the government. Some MPs put cash in the box enacting the donations made and the “theft” that took place later.
Members of the Samajwadi Party who were present said till now more than ₹47,000 has been collected and the money would be donated to the Ram Temple at Ayodhya and a receipt would be taken.
The MPs had staged a similar skit last week, which had led to objections from Hindu outfits and the BJP who alleged that it was an insult to ‘Sanatan Dharma’.
Parliament Monsoon Session: Follow LIVE updates on August 3, 2026
Shah’s absence
The Opposition MPs also protested against the “absence” of Union Home Minister Amit Shah from both the Houses of Parliament.
The protesting MPs lined up behind a big banner that read ‘Why Amit Shah is absent from Parliament?’.
Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi, SP’s Dimple Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress’ Mahua Moitra, Jarkhand Mukti Morcha’s Mahua Maji, Revolutionary Socialist Party’s N.K. Premachandran, were among those who were seen at the protest.
They also raised slogans against Mr. Shah on the use of force against student protesters at the anti-paper leak agitation in the national capital last week.
“Modiji should apologise, for lathi-charging and firing pellet guns at the youth…but instead of coming to Parliament, he is intimidating and threatening the children. They do not come to the House, they do not answer questions, they do not speak on the theft of donations for Shri Ram Mandir, nor do they say anything on the suppression of students. Innocent children are not traitors, do not label them as such, the real traitors are the BJP people! who are crushing democracy,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
Questioning the absence of Mr. Shah from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Congress general secretary organisation K.C. Venugopal said: “Why is the Home Minister not coming to Parliament? In all previous sessions, he used to be very active. Then why is he not attending this session? The atrocities and attacks against students are still continuing. We, and the entire country, need an answer from the Home Minister.”
“Our protests outside Parliament, and on the floor of both Houses, will continue until the government is held accountable,” he added.
INDIA bloc MPs have stalled both Houses of Parliament over the twin issues with Bills being passed without a debate.
Published – August 03, 2026 08:59 pm IST
