Disruptions loom over winter session as security breach standoff persists

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, December 15

The winter session of Parliament, the last full session before the 18th Lok Sabha election in 2024, is staring at continued disruptions with the Opposition and government on Friday taking firm stands on the December 13 security breach.

• Editorial: Suspension of MPs

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned without transacting any business for the second consecutive day today, with no forward movement on key Bills, including those replacing the IPC, CrPC and the Indian Evidence Act, which the government wanted to bring in the lower House this week having allocated 15 hours for discussions.

At the root of Parliament paralysis is the Opposition’s demand for Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on the security breach followed by a discussion in both Houses. The Opposition says Shah’s statement becomes even more pressing in the light of the stringent UAPA charges being invoked against the five accused in contrast to initial position by LS Speaker Om Birla and the government that the December 13 incident was minor and did not warrant disruption of parliamentary proceedings.

“INDIA bloc parties met yesterday and today and are united that the first requirement to keep both Houses running is a statement by the Home Minister on the December 13 security breach. If Shah can speak on the issue to a television channel while Parliament is in session, he can very well speak inside the Houses. Moreover, UAPA charges have been filed against the accused. This shows the seriousness of the issue,” Congress chief whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh said, further questioning the suspension of 14 MPs (13 in Lok Sabha and one in Rajya Sabha) for seeking Shah’s statement.

The government for its part said the Opposition was politicising the matter and Speaker Lok Sabha, being custodian of the House, had already ordered a high-level probe which was underway.

“The Opposition should behave responsibly. No one is trying to suppress anyone’s voice. They should come and debate. On Monday, three important Bills to replace the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act will come. We want a detailed discussion. We have allotted 15 hours,” Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.

INDIA parties, including the Congress and TMC, however, appeared in no mood to reconcile and skipped a meeting RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called yesterday and again today to break the logjam.

The opposition parties said they skipped the meeting because Dhankhar was not heeding their demand to get Shah to respond.

Ramesh today said Leader of Opposition in RS Mallikarjun Kharge wrote twice to Dhankhar, urging for Opposition’s voice to be heard but to no avail. “We would have liked to attend Chairman’s meeting. The quality of refreshment they serve there has improved a lot. But the point is our demands are not being heeded,” Ramesh said.

To a pointed question on whether the Opposition would participate in the discussions on the new criminal law Bills on Monday, Jairam said: “We are hopeful Shah will make a statement on the security breach on Monday, we will have a short discussion on the issue and then the Houses can function.”