New Delhi : Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday left open the possibility of another sitting of Parliament, saying the Monsoon Session has not yet been prorogued, and the House can be summoned again without formally closing the existing session.
In an interview with India Today Managing Editor Preeti Choudhry, Rijiju was asked whether the government could call another sitting or a special session. He declined to give a direct answer but pointed to parliamentary precedents that could allow the House to meet again.
“It is up to the government. Whenever Parliament is to be called, it is the government which decides and requests the President to call the session. When the House is not prorogued, then the session can be called,” he said.
However, when asked if that meant a special session could be on the cards, he said, “No, that I will not answer.”
When Choudhry suggested that his remarks could be interpreted as leaving the possibility of another sitting open, Rijiju responded, “You can read both ways.”
“As a Parliamentary Affairs Minister, I am always open to people’s scrutiny and observation also, and then when the time comes…” he said, without elaborating.
Asked specifically if there could be another Parliament session, Rijiju said, “It is nothing new which we are doing.”
The Arunachal MP cited parliamentary history to reinforce his point, saying that since 1952 there had been “numerous occasions” when Parliament was adjourned sine die but not prorogued, after which the session was summoned again. “After this interview I will give you the list,” he said.
Rijiju’s remarks come amid speculation over the government’s next move after the Monsoon Session was adjourned indefinitely without being prorogued. Both Houses were adjourned on August 13, but the session had still not been formally closed several days later.
This has triggered questions from the Opposition about whether the government could use the existing session to bring back the Delimitation Bill and the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill.
The Delimitation Bill, introduced along with the Women’s Reservation Bill under the 131st Constitutional Amendment, failed to secure the two-thirds majority required for passage in the Lok Sabha during the three-day special session in April.
Rijiju, however, stopped short of confirming that the government was planning another sitting or a special session, maintaining that the decision to summon Parliament rests with the government.
