Monsoon Session ends: 39 pc productivity in RS, 12 Bills through; parties trade blame over washout
The Monsoon Session of Parliament drew to a close on Thursday, August 13, with the Lok Sabha being adjourned sine die after a stormy session marked by relentless Opposition protests, and Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan expressing "deep concern" over disruptions that "derailed" the business of the House, which recorded a productivity of just 39 per cent.
As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, all six stanzas of the national song were played following which Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House sine die (for an indefinite period) without reading out the usual valedictory address highlighting its performance and productivity.
In the Rajya Sabha, Radhakrishnan said during the session that started on July 20, 12 Bills were either passed or returned even as the productivity was only 39.17 per cent, with the House functioning for only 37 hours and 49 minutes. "As the 271st Session of the Rajya Sabha draws to a close, I reflect on its proceedings with a deep concern. It is a matter of regret that the Session was marked by persistent disorder and frequent disruptions, which repeatedly derailed the business of the House," he said, urging members to uphold the dignity of the august House.
The Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Birla after the House was adjourned sine die, while DMK leader Kanimozhi attended the get-together. In the Rajya Sabha, opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Sonia Gandhi, attended the tea party hosted by Radhakrishnan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and several other senior leaders and ministers were present at the tea party in the Lok Sabha Speaker's chamber, according to sources.
Earlier in the day, ruling NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc MPs came face-to-face near Parliament's Makar Dwar - with security personnel forming a cordon between them - as they staged protests on the last day of the session. While NDA MPs demanded answers from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and alleged that he was "running away" from a debate on student protests across the country, INDIA bloc MPs demanded accountability over the police action on students in Ranchi and raised the issue of alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The end of the session triggered a blame game between the ruling party and the Opposition. The BJP accused Gandhi of repeatedly changing goalposts and alleged that the Monsoon Session had fallen victim to "one leader's ego, indiscipline and insolence". Addressing a press conference, senior BJP leader and MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Opposition did not allow Parliament to function despite the government's readiness for discussions. "I would like to repeat that Rahul Gandhi is irresponsible. Rahul Gandhi is yet to mature as a leader in the politics of the country," he said, adding that when the government was ready for discussion, the Opposition "wanted resignation".
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi slammed Gandhi for his "continued disregard" of parliamentary institutions, saying he repeatedly avoids meaningful debate in the House while choosing to make political statements on foreign soil. "Congress demanded a discussion and a statement from the Home Minister and the government agreed. Yet, when the opportunity arose, the very person who demanded it chose to walk away," Joshi said.
The Congress countered, claiming that never before had a government been so "scared and rattled" as the Modi government was during the session, with the BJP leadership "running away" from Parliament. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah stayed away from parliamentary proceedings, appearing only on the last day just before the House was adjourned sine die. "I want to remind you that the Monsoon Session has been washed out and 11 years ago in 2015, the Monsoon Session was washed out and the reason was the Vyapam scam. After 11 years, again an issue related to the youth resulted in a washout. So, nothing has changed in 11 years," Ramesh said. Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said the party had never seen a government so scared and rattled, and alleged that the government got Bills passed "in din" while the Opposition's issues - from corruption in NEET and Ram temple donations to ethanol blending - were not allowed to be raised.
The Trinamool Congress called the session a "near-washout" in so far as debates go, with TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien saying its lawmakers held the government accountable through tough questions. According to data compiled by the TMC, its MPs asked more than 180 questions in both Houses during the session, drawing out government responses on MGNREGA dues, bank frauds, unemployment, FDI and the corporate tax cuts.
The Monsoon Session, which began on July 20, was marked by repeated adjournments and protests by the Opposition over the police action on agitating students, with the Jharkhand exam row and the Ram temple donation issue dominating its last days.
(With inputs from PTI)