Parliament adjourned early due to political developments in Bihar: Opposition

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, however, said the adjournment decision was 'taken on the request of MPs, including those from Opposition'

The Opposition on Tuesday pounded on the Narendra Modi government over the early adjournment of Parliament’s Monsoon Session claiming that it has to do with the political developments in Bihar where the NDA lost its government, even as the ruling dispensation dismissed criticism saying the decision was taken following demands from all sides.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “In March 2020, Modi Sarkar postponed Covid-19 lockdown to engineer the fall of the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh. Now, it cuts short Parliament session knowing its coalition government in Bihar is going. What goes up must come down!”

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Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien also sought to draw a parallel with Bihar developments saying, “BiharPolitics. Another big reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and (Home Minister) Amit Shah ran away and shut down Parliament’s Monsoon Session four days early."

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi countered the Opposition leaders, saying the session was not adjourned four days in advance but only two working days ahead of schedule and the decision was “taken on the request of MPs, including those from Opposition."

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“Opposition's propaganda is discussion but agenda is disruption and boycott…even today, they are leaving no stone unturned by not allowing Parliament, the temple of democracy, to debate on national issues. More than 50 per cent of the time in the recently concluded session was sacrificed through disruptions,” he said in response to a press conference held by Congress.

Ramesh and Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi claimed that the Monsoon Session was "highly disappointing." They alleged that the government did not have the appetite to run proceedings till the scheduled date of August 12.

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“It was extraordinary that one-and-a-half-day of proceedings were disrupted by treasury benches which kept insisting on an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for remarks made by Leader of the Party in Lok Sabha who had already apologised for his statement both verbally as well as in writing,” Ramesh said.

"There was no enthusiasm or appetite on part of the government to get bills passed. Normally the opposition says the House should be adjourned but this time the government had no appetite to run the house,” he said adding that the Opposition was ready to sit on August 10 and 12 to discuss and pass bills but the government was in a rush to curtail the session.