Govt cooperating in getting Parliament adjourned, alleges Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday blamed the government after the first week of the Winter session of Parliament was washed out and alleged that the "government is cooperating" in getting the Parliament proceedings adjourned.

"The session gets washed out because the government does not want the Parliament to function...The opposition wants the Adani issue, the Manipur situation, Sambhal incident to be discussed in the parliament...The govt is cooperating in getting the Parliament proceedings adjourned...For the first time I am seeing whenever we raise an issue, the parliament gets adjourned...The government does not want a discussion on the Adani issue, Manipur, Sambhal incident, Ajmer. Why is the government running away from discussion?...BJP MPs come to get the Parliament session adjourned while we go to raise issues," Jairam Ramesh told ANI.

On November 29, amid continuous sloganeering by opposition MPs in both Houses for the fourth straight day, Parliament was adjourned till December 2 (Monday), failing to conduct substantial business.

Parliament proceedings have been stalled since the beginning of the Winter Session amid protests by opposition parties over the Adani issue and violence in Manipur and Sambhal.

Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the actions are not "public-centric."

"This cannot be appreciated. We have become a laughing stock, and parliament disruptions are in public distaste. We are creating a very bad precedent. Our actions are not public-centric. We are getting into irrelevance. Rule 267 is being weaponised as a tool of disruption," the Rajya Sabha Chairman said.

The Chairman expressed his deep anguish and profound regret at the disruption in the normal business of the House.

Opposition members have been continuously pushing to have a discussion on the floor on the Adani issue, Sambhal violence and the Manipur situation, raising slogans in the Parliament.

The first session of the winter Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The winter session will go on till December 20.

Meanwhile, Jairam Ramesh said that the Congress would meet with the Election Commission on November 5 to take up issues of EVMs.

"The Election Commission has given us time on Monday 5th and Congress leaders will meet them. The memorandum that we gave is related to the election process. EVM is a part of the election process. There are issues in the entire election machinery in the Maharashtra assembly elections and targeted manipulation has taken place...The results of the Maharashtra assembly elections are impossible. No one can understand them...We have raised questions on the entire election machinery which is very dangerous for democracy...The parties of the INDIA alliance passed a resolution in Dec 2023 that 100% counting of VVPAT slips should then be done...I have sought time from the Election Commission of India to discuss the issue of VVPATs but we did not get time from them," Ramesh said.