Parliament adjourned sine die one day ahead of schedule

Shubhadeep Choudhury                                                      

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

Parliament was on Wednesday adjourned sine die, one day ahead of the schedule, with the session in both Houses brought to a close in the morning in quick succession.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die 10 minutes after the sitting commenced at 11 am. After the customary laying of papers by ministers, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjn Kharge urged Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to allow him to raise “an important issue” reported by an English daily. Holding the newspaper in his hand, Kharge tried to read out the report which was about the purchase of land by legislators and government officials and their relatives in Ayodhya after the Supreme Court cleared the building of the Ram temple in the city.

Naidu, however, cut him short saying Kharge ought to have given a notice first regarding the issue he wanted to take up. “This is not the way. Newspapers cannot be read. You have to give a notice,” Naidu said even as Kharge was heard imploring that he be allowed to raise the issue.

“The system in the House is that newspapers cannot be read,” Naidu said. “I am not reading it, sir, I am reading my notes”, Kharge replied. But Naidu ignored his repeated requests.

The Chairman then said that the answers to questions in both lists (starred and unstarred) should be treated as read.

Addressing the members, Naidu said, “The Winter session of the House concludes today. I am not happy to share with you that the House functioned much below its potential. I urge all of you to collectively and individually reflect and introspect if this session could have been different and better. I don’t want to speak elaborately on the course of the session as it would make me take a very critical view,” Naidu said. He added that statistics regarding various aspects of the functioning of the House during the session would be released to media.

After wishing the members for the coming Christmas and New Year, Naidu said he also wished the members “realisation that what happened (in the House) was wrong and also that we should all work together for a constructive, positive atmosphere for the larger interest of the country”.

Responding to a member, Naidu said, “Yeah, that’s what I am saying: regulations, procedure, precedent, decency and decorum have to be maintained.”

Naidu then ordered ‘Vande Mataram’ to be played following which the House was adjourned sine die.

The Rajya Sabha saw frequent disruption in the Winter Session as 12 Opposition members were suspended for the whole session on the inaugural day on November 29 as punishment for their conduct during the Monsoon Session.

Derek O’Brien, leader of the opposition Trinamool Congress in Rajya Sabha, was suspended on Tuesday for allegedly throwing the rulebook at the Chair while protesting against the Election Reform Bill.