Ahead of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, tensions arose between the NDA government and the INDIA bloc over the appointment of Pro-tem Speaker. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of spreading falsehoods, while opposition members threatened to boycott joining the panel assisting Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab. President Droupadi Murmu appointed Mahtab, a seven-term BJP leader, to administer oaths and oversee the Speaker's election.
