NEW DELHI – The Rajya Sabha witnessed a heated confrontation on Wednesday between Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju over the government's handling of the Middle East conflict.

Kharge criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from an all-party meeting on the issue, labeling the attending ministers as "dummies" without authority. Rijiju hit back, accusing the opposition of "playing politics" during a global crisis and failing to uphold the dignity of their posts by skipping the meeting themselves.

Key Points:

• Demand for Discussion: Kharge questioned the delay in a formal parliamentary debate on the Middle East, citing its impact on rising fuel and LPG prices.
• Government Defense: Rijiju stated the government is not avoiding discussion and highlighted that India has managed to control prices better than most nations through excise duty cuts.
• Legislative Push: Amid the row, the House skipped lunch to process the CAPF Bill 2026 and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill.

The session concluded with the Chairman urging both sides to maintain parliamentary decorum as the government continues its legislative agenda for the 2026 session.