The Centre on Tuesday said the Winter Session of Parliament will not be held this year in view of the Covid-19 pandemic and that it will be appropriate to convene the Budget Session in January.
This has invited sharp reactions from the main Opposition party Congress. The Opposition questioned the motive behind not calling the Session when elections and huge public rallies were allowed and even schools and colleges have been permitted to be opened.
In a letter to leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said, “Winter months are very crucial for managing the pandemic because of recent spurt in cases during this period, particularly in Delhi. At present, we are in the middle of December and a Covid vaccine is expected very soon.”
Slamming the Government for its decision to not hold Parliament’s Winter Session in view of Covid-19, the Congress said the “decimation of Parliamentary democracy is complete” and asked if election campaigning can be done amid the pandemic then why can’t the session be held. Senior Congress leader and party’s chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh said Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad was not consulted on the matter.
Joshi in his communication to Chowdhury said he had informally contacted floor leaders of various political parties and “they have expressed their concerns about the ongoing pandemic and opined of doing away with winter session”.
“Government is willing to have the next session of Parliament at the earliest; it would be appropriate to have the Budget Session, 2021 in January 2021 keeping in mind the unprecedented circumstances created by Covid-19 pandemic,” Joshi wrote.
Talking about the Monsoon Session which was delayed due to the pandemic, Joshi appreciated cooperation from all political parties for a productive session held under extraordinary circumstances by making special logistical arrangements. The Winter Session of Parliament normally starts from the last week of November or first week of December.
Responding to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister’s remarks, Ramesh tweeted, “The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha was not consulted. Mr. Pralhad Joshi is as usual departing from the truth.”
Hitting out at the Government, Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter, “Modi ji, decimation of ‘parliamentary democracy’ is complete. NEET/JEE exams can be held during COVID. Schools can be opened, universities can hold exams. Rallies can be held in Bihar-Bengal. But the winter session of Parliament can’t be held. Any semblance of democracy left?” he asked.
The Constitution broadly stipulates one major rule that there should not be a gap of more than six months between two sessions of Parliament. However, it has been a convention to hold three sessions of Parliament -- Budget, Monsoon and Winter -- in a year.
On its official Twitter handle, the Congress said, “Another step in the BJP’s attempt to destroy democracy.”
“The BJP brought crisis on democracy is not limited to parliamentary sessions, but is a crisis on every common person’s life, their independence, their wishes. We will fight this crisis,” the party said in a tweet in Hindi.
Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said, “Bihar election -- not postponed. New Parliament building ceremony - not postponed. BJP Bengal rallies- not postponed. But Parliament winter session - postponed due to COVID-19. Winter session postponement is BJP’s expected sinister strategy to avoid debate, questions on farmers’ protest.”
Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said the Inter-Parliamentary Union data shows more than 105 countries across the world held multiple Parliamentary sessions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. He asked why the Modi Government is evading accountability by cancelling the Parliament session.