In the first sitting of the 18th Lok Sabha, leaders of the Opposition bloc, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Sonia Gandhi, and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, staged a protest outside the Parliament on Monday. They were seen holding copies of the Constitution as a sign of their dissatisfaction with the BJP-led NDA government. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha and will be the Leader of the House. The swearing-in of other Union ministers and newly elected MPs is currently ongoing, with pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab administering the oath. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began with the swearing-in of all newly elected MPs and is set to run until July 3. President Droupadi Murmu also administered the oath to BJP lawmaker Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Opposition MPs from the Congress and INDIA bloc refrained from assisting the pro-tem Speaker, expressing their displeasure over the appointment instead of their preferred candidate. The opposition is gearing up to challenge the NDA government regarding the election of the Speaker on June 26 and other contentious issues. Issues raised by the opposition include alleged paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET, rising prices, food inflation, deaths due to heatwaves, and exam administration irregularities. The election of the Speaker on June 26 is a significant event in the current session.
