Parliament all set to wind up today

Parliament, marred by slogans and pandemonium forcing daily adjournment since start of the second half of the budget session, is likely to be wound up on Friday instead of continuing as per schedule till April 6.

The government on Thursday completed the formality of guillotining the budget demands and passed the budget for 2023-24 without any debate in just 10 minutes and the same exercise may be performed on Friday in the Rajya Sabha before closing the session. The Lok Sabha was adjourned amid ruckus from both sides in the morning till 2pm and then till 6pm when Speaker Om Birla quickly completed the budget formalities. The Rajya Sabha was first adjourned till 2pm and then for the day.

The government did not want to prolong the session since the Opposition was hellbent on pressing for a probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into Adani affairs. The ruling BJP countered the Congress slogans with its own demand for Rahul Gandhi's apology on his remarks on the Indian democracy in his London speech. Rahul wrote to the Speaker to give him time to respond since he had nowhere invited the foreign countries to save the Indian democracy as the BJP leaders repeatedly alleged since March 13.

Modi meets Birla

Amid impasse in Parliament, PM Modi, along with his cabinet colleagues, met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in the evening, soon after the lower house was adjourned for the day.

However, the meeting was described as a “courtesy call” to the Speaker by the Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers, which included Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju.

Treasury benches have been seeking Rahul’s apology over his remarks on democracy, Congress has been seeking a JPC probe in the Adani issue. Also, with speculations about Rahul’s LS disqualification looming large, Modi’s meeting with Birla assumes political significance.