Stormy Budget session ends with show of unity by Opposition

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 6

The Budget session of Parliament today came to an end with both Houses getting adjourned sine die amid continuous uproar over the Adani issue and Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Indian democracy in the UK.

The Opposition blamed the ruling BJP for the near washout of the session and vowed to further strengthen unity in its ranks. The BJP, on its part, criticised the Congress and other Opposition parties for weakening parliamentary democracy by obstinately demanding a JPC probe into a matter with which the “government has no links”.

In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla announced that the House had been adjourned sine die as Opposition MPs kept up their protest for a JPC probe into the Adani issue. The protest began as soon as the House met for the day and proceedings were adjourned in six minutes. Opposition members from the Congress and the DMK came to the well raising slogans and carrying placards regarding their demand. “You have lowered the dignity of the House. This behaviour is not good for parliamentary system and the country,” the Speaker told the protesting MPs. PM Narendra Modi and several ministers, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, were present in the House. Most BJP members were wearing saffron scarves to coincide with the foundation day of the party.

In his valedictory speech, the Speaker said the House began on January 31 and President Droupadi Murmu delivered her Address to a joint sitting on that day. He said there were over 13 hours of debate on a motion to thanks to the President for her Address and 143 MPs participated in it. The Rajya Sabha too was adjourned sine die, ending the four-week-long disruption-ridden second leg of the session.

When the Rajya Sabha reassembled at 2 pm after an adjournment in the morning, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the suspension of Congress MP Rajani Patil for filming proceedings of the House had been extended beyond the Budget session after taking inputs from the privileges committee, which was investigating the matter. Amid a protest by Opposition members over the suspension issue, Dhankhar read out his valedictory remarks, stating that the 259th session of the Rajya Sabha was closing, “albeit on a note of concern”.

Addressing mediapersons, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said the session witnessed very low productivity of 34 per cent in the Lok Sabha and 24.4 per cent in the Rajya Sabha. He said six Bills were passed by both the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha.

Meghwal blamed the Opposition for the disruptions in the second leg of the session, saying the BJP was ready to drop its demand, a likely reference to its insistence on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s apology, if Opposition parties reciprocated its gesture on their stand for a JPC probe.

Meanwhile, with the Tricolour in hand, several Opposition MPs marched from Parliament to Vijay Chowk and then representatives of 19 parties held a press conference at the Constitution Club where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders resolved to take the Opposition unity further.

In a boost to Opposition unity, the TMC, BRS, AAP and the SP participated in the march.

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