New Delhi: The first week of the winter session of parliament saw the Lok Sabha functioning for only 54 minutes and the Rajya Sabha for 75 minutes as opposition members’ demand for discussions on the bribery allegations against the Adani Group, violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, among others were not allowed leading to repeated disruptions followed by adjournments.
On Monday, the Lok Sabha functioned for 6 minutes, on Wednesday and Thursday for 14 minutes, and on Friday for 20 minutes. The Rajya Sabha on the other hand functioned for 33 minutes on Monday, 13 minutes on Wednesday, 16 minutes on Thursday and 13 minutes on Friday. On Tuesday, both houses saw a joint session to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the constitution.
Rule 267 ‘weaponised’
On Friday, Rajya Sabha chairperson and vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar said that Rule 267, under which adjournment notices had been submitted by members of the opposition for suspension of business to take up these discussions, was being “weaponised as a mechanism for disruption”.
“These issues have been raised repeatedly during the week with the result that we have already lost three days working,” said Dhankhar.
“The days that should have been committed by us to the public cause, there should have been vindication of our oath that we perform our duties as expected. The loss of time, the loss of opportunity has given enormous setback to the people at large. Now I call upon you for deep reflection. Rule 267 is being weaponised as a mechanism of disruption and disruption from our normal working.
“This cannot be appreciated. I express my deep anguish, my pain that we are creating a very bad precedent, we are dishonouring the people of the country we are not coming up to the expectations. Our actions are not people-centric. They are to absolute public distaste. We are getting into irrelevance. People are ridiculing us. We have virtually become a laughing stock,” he added.
‘Big mystery’
While business in both Houses during the course of the week saw papers being laid, two MPs taking oath after the bypolls, and an extension being granted to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Waqf Amendment Bill, proceedings were repeatedly adjourned as opposition members raised slogans demanding a discussion on the bribery allegations against the Adani Group, violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, and the ongoing violence in Manipur.
After proceedings were adjourned for the week on Friday, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that it is a “big mystery” why the government is “not resisting the adjournments.”
“Yet another day of a washout in the Parliament on the Modani issue. Both Houses got adjourned today after only a few minutes. The big mystery is why the Govt is not resisting the adjournments. On the contrary, the Govt is facilitating the aggression of the INDIA parties on Modani especially – as also on Manipur, Sambhal, and Delhi’s law and order. Clearly it has much to feel defensive and apologetic about,” he wrote on X.
TMC MP Sagarika Ghose in a statement also questioned the Modi government for not “muzzling opposition” in parliament.
“Why is Modi silent on Manipur? Why are Modi-Shah repeatedly shutting down Parliament and muzzling the opposition?” she said.
Meanwhile the Treasury benches have accused the opposition of not allowing the house to function.
“In order to please the Congress and the first family, the entire opposition is busy in just one work to dishonour people’s mandate. The Congress party and the party’s dynasty have been disrespecting the Constitution. People defeated them in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir you had an alliance but faired poorly, in Maharashtra as well but they don’t want to accept it. Rahul Gandhi doesn’t believe in the Constitution. This is very condemnable- their bid to stop people from working,” said Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to reporters.
Earlier on Thursday, Union minister for parliamentary affairs Kiren Rijiju had also accused the Congress of not allowing the house to function. Both Houses are slated to meet again on Monday (December 2).
This article was edited to reflect that the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively functioned for 54 and 75 minutes, not hours.
