[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The second half of the Parliament’s Budget session that began on March 5 ended in a complete washout on Friday, April 6, with little legislative business transacted, issues debated or questions answered.
The persistent protests disrupted proceedings every day, but no efforts were made to resolve differences or have a debate on the issues agitating the members to let the House move ahead. No all-party meetings was called, either by the Speaker or by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister.
On Thursday, said a report in The Hindustan Times (HT), parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar had hit out at Congress, calling it the main culprit behind the disruptions in the House, while former Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused him of lying and said it was the government that had not allowed the Parliament to function.
It is doubtful what the parties, whose members regularly plunged the House in commotion, gained from the disturbance, but the Modi government did manage to get away without facing the embarrassment of facing any of the three no-confidence motions asked for by TDP, YSR Congress and Congress. (See Box below)
While the government could easily have sailed through with its clear majority in the Lok Sabha, it would have been subjected to a full scale attack on a host of contentious issues on which it is facing flak and finds itself on the backfoot: bank scams, Nirav Modi’s turning up at meet with PM and then fleeing the country, farmer protests, Dalit protests, students’ protests, state of universities and education including ministers’ statements on evolution and Stephen Hawking, foreign relations, China in Doklam, ceasefire violations, joblessness, investment and industry, et al. The no-confidence motion gives a free hand to political parties to raise any and every issue during the debate that would be broadcast live, would go in official records and be reported in media.
The government was spared all of that. Now, the BJP intends to derive further benefit by asking its MPs to go on a one-day fast on April 12 against the disruptions and wastage of Parliament’s time and public money – which Ananth Kumar blamed on Congress, reported HT.
As the Lok Sabha failed to take up the no-confidence motion notices moved by the Opposition amid repeated disruptions by various parties, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said they should keep in mind the larger interests of the nation. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu urged the protesters not to make the Rajya Sabha a “clog in the wheel” of progress, reported The Indian Express.
The disruptions and adjournments were caused by protests over issues like special status to Andhra Pradesh, bank scams, demand for Cauvery water management board, vandalising of statues, review of the recent Supreme Court order on SC/ST Act and law and order situation in Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh.
The second leg of the session, that started on March 5, had 22 sittings that were mostly disrupted. On the whole, a total of nearly 250 working hours were wasted. Of the 19 starred questions, only five were answered orally by Ministers in the Rajya Sabha, while 17 of the 580 such questions were replied to orally in the Lok Sabha during the 29 sittings.
Only five bills, including the crucial Finance Bill 2018 for which the Budget Session is convened, were passed and five were introduced during the Budget session in the Lok Sabha. Besides, the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2017 were among those passed.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, which was passed in the Lok Sabha last December, remained pending in the Upper House.
In her summary report, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the House functioned for a total of 34 hours and 5 minutes during the 29 sittings. A total of 127 hours and 45 minutes were affected by interruptions and forced adjournments. She also said around 9 hours and 47 minutes went in to transact urgent government business in the Lower House.
The last day of the session also witnessed disruptions due to protests by AIADMK and Congress members over setting up of the Cauvery river management board as well as by TDP members demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.
“Today is the last day. If you are not ready… I will adjourn the House sine die,” a visibly peeved Mahajan told agitating members.
She also said she wanted to take up the notices for no-confidence motion. “I am sorry… if you don’t want to take up (notices for no-confidence motion,” she said before reading out a brief summary of the Budget session and its second leg which began on March 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House.
Members from both the AIADMK, TDP and the Congress holding placards trooped into the Well even before proceedings began for the day. While most of them left the Well after the Speaker’s appeal, the TDP members remained in the Well when Mahajan was reading out the closing statement.
The Rajya Sabha also witnessed disruptions with the Chairman voicing anguish over missed opportunities. “I am pained to note that it turned out to be an eminently forgettable one on account of utter disregard of the mandate of this important parliamentary institution and its responsibilities and missed opportunities,” Naidu said in his concluding address to the 245th session of Rajya Sabha.
The House lost nearly three-fourths of its time to disruptions and adjournments. During the second leg of the session, the Rajya Sabha had 30 sittings in all. While it sat for 44 hours, the Upper House lost over 121 hours.
Naidu stated that the Question Hour could not be taken up for 27 days “due to pandemonium and interruptions in the House over one or the other issue” and noted that there was a “total breakdown” in communication among various sections of the House that was “at the root of the prolonged stalemate that ruined the session.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1523021241019{border-top-width: 10px !important;border-right-width: 10px !important;border-bottom-width: 10px !important;border-left-width: 10px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #d1d1d1 !important;border-radius: 10px !important;}”]How the notice for No-confidence motion was handled, as per a report in The Indian Express:
On March 29, the newspaper ran a report that summed up how the fate of the no-confidence motion notice. The headline put its aptly: “1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes… And Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan says House stands adjourned”
The report said that the total time spent on a substantive motion like the no-trust motion has been all of 16 minutes over eight days.
“Everybody is ready to discuss the no-confidence motion. They are also ready, this side is also ready, but we cannot proceed like this,” said Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on March 28 before she adjourned proceedings for the eighth day since the first no-trust motion notice against the government, the IE reported. The proceedings were adjourned 11 minutes past noon.
That day, it was only AIADMK MPs who were in the well, disrupting proceedings. Before the Speaker took up the no-confidence motion matter, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar stood up and accused the Congress of “stalling the House since the first day” while the Congress MPs remained seated.
The IE report said this had been the scene in Lok Sabha since March 16 when the YSRCP and TDP gave notices for a motion of no-confidence.
While initially they had disrupted proceedings protesting the Centre’s refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh, their members had remained seated ever since the two parties gave the no-confidence motion notice. AIADMK members continued to troop to the well of the House, raising placards and shouting slogans.
This is what has happened on the no-confidence motion notices in Lok Sabha:
* Friday, March 16: 12.05-12.06 pm (One minute)
Speaker: Honourable members, I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Shri Y V Subba Reddy and Shri Thota Narasimham. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not… Please go to your seats… I request all of you to go back to your seats. I am sorry..: Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House…
12.06 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Monday, the 19th March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Monday, March 19: 12.06 to 12.08 pm (Two minutes)
Speaker: I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Shri Y V Subba Reddy, Shri Thota Narasimham and Shri Jayadev Galla. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. I am requesting the honourable members to please go to your seats. I can’t see anybody.
12.08 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Tuesday, the 20th March 2018 at 11 am.
* Tuesday, March 20: 12.13-12.14 pm (One minute)
Speaker: I have received notices of Motion of No-Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri YV Subba Reddy and Thota Narasimhan. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. Therefore, I request all of you to go back to your seats… This is not good. You should have some sensitivity towards the people of India. What kind of a politics is this? The confidence motions have to be discussed, but you are not cooperating… Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House.
12.14 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Wednesday, the 21st March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Wednesday, March 21: 12.05 -12.07 pm (Two minutes)
Speaker: I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Thota Narasimham and YV Subba Reddy. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Please listen to me. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members. I have to count the heads. I just cannot see anything from here. How can I count the heads? I have to count 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. I request all of you to go back to your seats. Please listen to me. I cannot even see anybody… Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House. I am sorry.
12.07 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Thursday, the 22nd March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Thursday, March 22: 12.06-12.08 pm (Two minutes)
Speaker: Please go back to your seats. I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Thota Narasimham and Y V Subba Reddy. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places. I have to count the heads. I am not able to ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. I cannot ascertain this. Therefore, I request all of you to go back to your seats. I just want to count the heads. I just cannot see anything. Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House.(SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra tried to seek a House holiday on the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh)
12.08 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Friday, the 23rd March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Friday, March 23: 12.06-12.09 pm (Three minutes)
Speaker: I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Y V Subba Reddy and Thota Narasimham. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. Therefore, I request all of you to go back to your seats… I want to take it up. Even honourable members sitting on my right side are ready to have discussion. If all of you agree, then only I can do this. You all may please cooperate. So, I would like to request you to go back to your seats. It cannot happen like this. Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House. I am sorry.
I have to make one announcement. Many honourable members have requested me that there is Ram Navmi on 25th of March 2018 and because of that a number of programmes have been organised and the honourable members will have to attend those programmes. So, many honourable members have requested me for declaring 26th of March as a holiday. I am accepting their request.
12.09 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Tuesday, the 27th March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Tuesday, March 27: 12.07-12.09 pm (Two minutes)
Speaker: I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Thota Narasimham, Mallikarjun Kharge, Y V Subba Reddy, P Karunakaran, Mohd. Salim, N K Premachandran, Srinivas Kesineni, P K Kunhalikutty, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Jayadev Galla, Asaduddin Owaisi, P V Midhun Reddy and Jose K Mani. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House… Please go back to your seats. I cannot do like this. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. Therefore, I request all of you to go back to your seats. This is not the way. Please put down your placards. This is not the way. I am sorry to say this. Please go back to your seats. Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House… I cannot do anything. Please go back to your seats.
12.09 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Wednesday, the 28th March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Wednesday, March 28: 12.08-12.11 pm (Three minutes)
Speaker: I am speaking about No Confidence Motion. But how can I proceed? I am sorry. I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Thota Narasimham, Y V Subba Reddy, Konakalla Narayana Rao, Srinivas Kesineni, N K Premachandran, Mohd. Salim, P Karunakaran, P V Midhun Reddy, P K Kunhalikutty, Mallikarjun Kharge, M Srinivasa Rao, Asaduddin Owaisi and Jayadev Galla. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. But unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members. How can I count? It is not possible. All of you will have to go to your seats. I am sorry. I am not able to ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. I cannot ascertain this. This is not the way. How can I count? Please go back to your seats. Everybody is ready to discuss No-Confidence Motion. They are also ready, this side is also ready, but we cannot proceed like this… Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House. I am sorry. Honourable members, this is not the way. I am sorry. I cannot hear anybody.
12.11 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet on Monday, the 2nd April, 2018 at 11 am.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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