New Delhi

Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera and several other newly-elected representatives took their oaths as members of the Rajya Sabha on the inaugural day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan administered the oath to the members in the Upper House. Among those sworn in was Pawan Khera, representing the state of Karnataka.

Khera, along with veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge (re-elected) and Mansoor Ali Khan, was elected unopposed from Karnataka in June 2026. The BJP's M Nagaraj was also among those elected unopposed from the state.

The ceremony saw participation from various political quarters. From the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dr. Mukeshbhai J. Rathwa (Gujarat) and Mahesh Kewat (Madhya Pradesh) officially took their oaths of office.

From the Northeast, James Pangsang Kongkal Sangma of the National People's Party (NPP) took the oath as a member representing the state of Meghalaya. Additionally, Prakash Chik Baraik of the BJP, representing West Bengal, was also administered the oath by the Chairman on the first day of the session.

The swearing-in ceremony took place in the presence of senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and other dignitaries.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon on Monday, shortly after the House assembled for the first day of the Monsoon Session, amid continuous sloganeering by Opposition members demanding discussions on the NEET controversy and the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case.

The proceedings began with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla making obituary references to former Members of Parliament Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, Omwati Devi, Sudhangshu Seal, Major General Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri AVSM (Retd.), KP Dhanapalan, Pyare Lal Sankhwar, and His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Father Amir of the State of Qatar.

Soon after the obituary references, Opposition MPs raised slogans, demanding discussions on the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.

Amid the protests, Speaker Om Birla repeatedly appealed to members to allow the House to function.

"Please remain seated. Cooperate in running the House," Birla said.

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However, the sloganeering continued, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till 12 noon.

Ahead of the session, Congress leaders had said they would press for discussions on the NEET-UG 2026 controversy and the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case.