11 Bills passed; session ends one day ahead of schedule

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

Amid continuous disruptions by the Opposition over their demand for resignation of MoS (Home) Ajay Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri case, the two Houses of Parliament were today adjourned sine die a day ahead of schedule.

Also read: Government, opposition spar over House disruptions

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MPs should debate, discuss, not disrupt, says LS Speaker Om Birla

The Lok Sabha recorded 82 per cent productivity and the Rajya Sabha, which witnessed protests over the suspension of 12 Opposition members, 48 per cent productivity during the winter session. The government, however, termed the session a “success” despite the “disruptive strategy” of the Opposition. In all, 11 Bills were passed by the two Houses, including the one to repeal the three contentious farm laws passed by the Parliament last year, and an equally contentious Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

According to the government, the poll reform legislation provides “linking of electoral roll data with the Aadhaar ecosystem to curb the menace of multiple enrolment of the same person in different places”.

Union minister Pralhad Joshi, who said the session concluded a day earlier on completion of essential government business, maintained that everything was done “according to rules and conventions”. The government was willing to hold discussions on every issue, he said, dismissing the allegations of Bills being passed without debate as “baseless”.

“The Opposition should have allowed the House to run. They are unable to digest the defeat in the 2019 elections and are therefore continuously disrupting Parliament proceedings,” he added. Today, before the Rajya Sabha was adjourned, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge urged Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to allow him to raise an “important issue” related to purchase of land by legislators in Ayodhya.

Saying that Kharge should have given a notice first, Naidu said: “This is not the way. You have to give a notice.” Joshi also said the three farm laws passed with the “objective of overall development of farmers” were repealed “in view of protests by a group of farmers and in order to take everyone together on the path of inclusive growth and development in the 75th year of India’s Independence”. In all, the session saw 18 sittings spread over a period of 24 days. As many as 13 Bills (12 Bills in the Lok Sabha and 1 Bill in the Rajya Sabha) were introduced and 11 Bills were passed by both Houses of Parliament.

Oppn Anti-democratic

Not allowing the Houses to run is anti-democratic. The Oppn is unable to digest 2019 mandate. —Pralhad Joshi, Parliamentary affairs minister

Suspension a ploy

The suspension of 12 MPs was deliberately planned by the govt to garner majority in the RS. —Mallikarjun Kharge, Oppn leader in RS