Parliament adjourned sine die two days early
Of 96 hours, Lok Sabha functioned for only 21 hours during the monsoon session, says Speaker Birla
NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Wednesday, bringing an end to the stormy Monsoon Session of Parliament two days ahead of the scheduled.
Opposition protests over the Pegasus snooping row, farm laws and other issues had continuously marred the proceedings since the start of the session on July 19.
The Question Hour witnessed disruptions on most of the days during this session while the House managed to pass 20 bills, including the constitutional amendment bill that will allow states to make their blackward classes lists.
Later addressing the media, Speaker Om Birla expressed anguish that the House did not run smoothly during the session which had 17 sittings.
He said members holding placards and raising slogans in the Well of Lok Sabha was not in accordance with its traditions.
Out of the total 96 hours, the Lok Sabha functioned only 21 hours during the entire Monsoon Session and its productivity was at 22%, Birla said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House when it was adjourned sine die (adjourned for an indefinite period).
“I am pained with continuous disruptions of the House. I don’t have words to express my anguish over the ruckus in the House... I am extremely hurt,” Birla said.
Asserting that the House can only run through dialogue and consensus, the Speaker said he also held several meetings with leaders from both treasury and opposition sides to end the log
jam but it could not happen due to several factors.
“Members should maintain the dignity of Parliament and help run the House according to traditions... It is a collective responsibility,” he said while replying to questions, and expressed confidence that the next session will be more productive.
His remarks came on a day Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu broke down in the Upper House while expressing anguish over the unruly conduct of MPs, who had climbed on the officers’ table in the Well and hurled files on Tuesday, and said that they had committed “sacrilege”.
Before adjourning, the House also paid tributes to four former members who passed away recently. As a mark of respect to the departed souls, members present in the House also stood in silence for a brief while.
After the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and floor leaders of various other parties met the Speaker in his chamber over tea. It was not immediately clear what was discussed at the meeting.
The Congress criticised the government for curtailing the Monsoon Session, saying a government that does not allow elected representatives from the opposition parties to raise issues of public importance is not good for the country and democracy.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Opposition was not allowed to speak on issues like price rise, rising fuel prices, farmers agitation and the repeal of farm laws that concern the people of the country.
He said the opposition from day one wanted a discussion on these issues but the government, which should have fulfilled its responsibility of ensuring that Parliament runs smoothly, acted on its own “whims and fancies”.
“It is not the task of the government to say who is right or wrong... or what demands are right or wrong. Such a government that focuses on its whims and fancies is not good for the country and is dangerous for democracy,” the Congress leader told reporters.
The blame for Lok Sabha being adjourned before scheduled cannot be solely put on the Opposition, said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
“What’s happening in the country has shaken many other countries around the world and has created an image of international scandal, and they refuse to discuss it is absolutely not acceptable,” said Tharoor, referring to the Pegasus snooping row.