New Delhi: The first part of the budget session of Parliament on Monday ended amid repeated ruckus and disagreement between the government and the opposition over the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into allegations of fraud by the Adani group. Decision to extract excerpts from the speeches of some leaders
The session will resume after a month-long break on March 13 to allow the standing committees to examine the budget proposals of the concerned ministries. The first part began with the first address by President Draupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of both the Houses, followed by the presentation of the budget and discussion on these two items. In this, opposition leaders led by Rahul Gandhi targeted the government on the Adani issue and Prime Minister Narendra Modi vehemently defended his credibility and record.
On Monday, acrimony marked the proceedings in the Upper House – with Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge witnessing ruckus and heated exchanges over sharp remarks. He said, ‘The way the opposition is stopping the proceedings of the House (Rajya Sabha) through ruckus, it is very wrong and unfair… Despite repeated requests, the opposition did not allow the proceedings of the House.’ Union Minister and Leader of the House Piyush Goyal said outside Parliament, “Opposition members come to the House only when they have decided not to let it function.”
When Kharge got up to speak, several members of the ruling party raised slogans. Kharge’s comments were later expunged from the House by the Speaker. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “Six references to links between PM and Adani made by LOP and Congress President @kharge-ji have been removed. This is undeclared but definite emergency.”
Apart from presenting the Union Budget, the session was marked by PM Modi’s rebuttal of allegations leveled against his government in two speeches targeting the opposition.
According to PRS legislative data, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha could use 82% and 63% of their allotted time in the first half. The Lok Sabha debated the President’s speech and the budget for 13.44 hours and 14.45 hours, respectively, while the Rajya Sabha spent 13.49 hours and 2.21 hours, respectively, in the two debates.
On Monday too, Dhankhar said that despite his repeated rulings, notices given under Rule 267 (suspension of business listed for raising an issue raised by a member with the permission of the Chair) were not in accordance with established procedures. Were. He cited the example of AAP’s Sanjay Singh who, he said, filed seven similar notices despite the Speaker’s instructions. “I am constantly constrained by obstruction, and I would go to the extent of calling it a deliberate obstruction.”
During the first part of the session, several opposition leaders focused increasingly on the Adani issue, which led to recriminations. In the Lok Sabha, Modi said the blessings of India’s 1.4 billion people, who experienced basic services for the first time under this government, is a shield that the opposition’s allegations cannot penetrate. In the Rajya Sabha, he said that by throwing mud at him or accusing him, the lotus will bloom more. But he did not mention any opposition party or Adani group.
For the first time, the opposition raised the issue of extracted statements and sought to challenge the decisions of the Speaker. Kharge also accused the government of hiding the truth by pressurizing Dhankhar and Birla. Both the Houses were repeatedly adjourned due to opposition protests demanding a JPC probe. In the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar named some MPs who were protesting at the Well of the House, but did not proceed to act later.
