Winter Session: Lok Sabha functioned for 54 mins, Rajya Sabha for 75 mins in first week as opposition protests force adjournments

Lok Sabha functioned for six minutes on Monday while it ran for 16 minutes on Wednesday, 14 minutes on Thursday, and 20 minutes on Friday. Rajya Sabha functioned for 33 minutes, 13 minutes, 16 minutes and 13 minutes respectively.

New Delhi: Lok Sabha functioned for just 54 minutes and Rajya Sabha for 75 minutes in the first week of Parliament's Winter Session that saw a washout of proceedings following Opposition protests over disallowing their demand for an immediate discussion on Adani issue, Manipur, and violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal.

On Friday too, only the fourth sitting in the first week as Tuesday witnessed a joint sitting to celebrate the 75th anniversary of adoption of the Constitution, both the Houses were adjourned for the day without conducting any substantial business following Opposition protests.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said people want the House to function and there should be discussions while Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar felt that Rule 267 is being “weaponised as a mechanism of disruption”.

Congress Rajya Sabha Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh said it was “yet another day of a washout…on the Modani” issue.

“The big mystery is why the government is not resisting the adjournments. On the contrary, the government is facilitating the aggression of the I.N.D.I.A. 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 said.

While a couple of questions were taken up in Lok Sabha besides Parliament extending the tenure of the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the contentious Wakf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, there was virtually no business that took place during the week.

Lok Sabha functioned for six minutes on Monday while it ran for 14 minutes on Wednesday, 14 minutes on Thursday, and 20 minutes on Friday. Rajya Sabha functioned for 33 minutes, 13 minutes, 16 minutes and 13 minutes respectively.

The first week also saw division within the I.N.D.I.A. ranks with Trinamool Congress distancing itself from the Congress in Parliament and not joining the chorus on a discussion on the Adani issue. Samajwadi Party was more keen on Sambhal violence owing to local political calculations.

On Friday, the Lok Sabha saw Opposition MPs rushing into the Well of the House as soon as they assembled for Question Hour, defying Birla’s directions. He initially started the Question Hour with Health Minister J P Nadda answering two questions amid the din.

As the Opposition protests continued, Birla first adjourned the House till 12 noon before saying Question Hour belongs to the MPs and they should avail the opportunity.

When the House reconvened, Opposition MPs once again occupied the Well of the House as Dilip Saikia, who was in the chair, announced the Speaker's decision rejecting all the adjournment motions submitted by the lawmakers.

While official papers were laid on the table, Opposition MPs continued their protest, prompting Saikia to adjourn the House till Monday after saying that the House is not being able to run because of the protesting MPs.

In Rajya Sabha, the scene was no different from previous days with 17 Opposition MPs submitting notices on Adani, Manipur, and Sambhal.

As Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected all the notices, Opposition MPs rose in protest.

Dhankhar said these issues were being repeatedly raised during the week and Rajya Sabha has already lost three working days, leading to loss of time and opportunity to raise issues.

Calling for deep reflection, he said, "Rule 267 (seeking suspension of business for an immediate discussion on a subject) is being weaponised as a mechanism of disruption and disruption from our normal working. There are very senior members. This cannot be appreciated”, invoking protests .

“I express my deep anguish, my absolute pain, we are creating a very bad precedent. We are dishonouring the people of this 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 laughing stock,” he added.