Lok Sabha adjourned sine die after stormy Monsoon session

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for an indefinite period on Thursday, August 13, ending a turbulent Monsoon session marked by sustained opposition protests over police action against agitating students and alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple, even as several key bills were passed without debate.

Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House for an indefinite period after all six stanzas of the national song were played as the House met for the day. He did not deliver the customary valedictory address that typically highlights the session's performance and productivity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were present for the brief sitting. The opposition raised slogans against the government on the concluding day as well, continuing a pattern that forced repeated adjournments through the session despite Birla's repeated appeals for members to join debates.

The session, which began July 20, saw vociferous opposition protests initially over the NEET paper leak issue and the alleged theft of Ram temple donations in Ayodhya.

The opposition later demanded that Shah respond to a police crackdown on students at Jantar Mantar on July 20, when students were protesting the paper leak and seeking accountability in the education system.

Shah said Wednesday he was ready for a debate and would answer every question raised by the opposition, urging the Speaker to consult with the opposition to schedule time for a discussion on the students' issue. In a letter to Birla, he said dialogue and discussion remain the only way to find solutions in a democracy.

Question Hour could not be completed on any sitting day because of the protests. Even so, 12 bills were passed during the session, including two already cleared by the Rajya Sabha, though debate took place on only two of them.

A bill amending the anti-paper-leak law drew an extended discussion lasting 10 hours. By contrast, a bill making insult to the national song Vande Mataram a punishable offence saw only two members speak amid noisy protests, in what amounted to a largely symbolic debate.

The Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Amendment Bill, a persistent flashpoint between the government and opposition over some of its provisions, was referred Wednesday, August 12, to a joint parliamentary committee for detailed examination.

The bill had first been introduced in the Budget session but was not taken up for consideration after opposition from several religious organisations, including groups in Kerala, where assembly elections were due in April.

On the session's penultimate day, a panel appointed by the Speaker to examine allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma tabled its report in Parliament. The panel concluded that the charges against Varma involving unexplained cash, disturbing evidence and evasive explanations were proved.

Sources said the government may move ahead with impeachment proceedings against the judge during the Winter session of Parliament.