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Displeased at the near-total washout of the second half of Parliament's Budget session, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari today said, "The record of the work done, and not done, is in the public domain and in no need of commentary..."
Both houses of Parliament were adjourned indefinitely, two days before the scheduled end. There had been a month's recess in between the session, which began in late February.
Ansari, also the country's Vice-President, asked MPs to deliberate the "impact of disruptive behaviour on public opinion". Due to incessant disruptions, Question Hour was taken up on only seven of the scheduled 30 hours in the Lok Sabha, the general and railway budgets had to be passed without discussion, and several important Bills could not be taken forward, such as those on food security, land acquisition, pensions and a new legislation on company law. (BARREN SESSION)
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The discussion on the food Bill remained inconclusive, as did a discussion on atrocities on women and on female children, due to continuous disruption of the proceedings. More than half the scheduled work hours in Parliament were lost due to disruption - for instance, 92 hours and 40 minutes in the Lok Sabha.
This is the third occasion when the Parliament has been adjourned indefinitely within the tenure of this 15th Lok Sabha itself.
Even before the second half of the session began, the Bharatiya Janata Party had mounted an attack on the government over the draft report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the telecom spectrum controversy. It labelled this a "Congress report"; there were also disclosures on Law Minister Ashwani Kumar having interfered in the preparation of the Central Bureau of Investigation's report to the Supreme Court on the coal scam.
Expectedly, from April 22, the Opposition demanded Kumar's resignation. Daily adjournments took place, with Opposition MPs walking into the well of each House, chanting slogans.
The government was determined to push through its food and land Bills, especially as it was under Opposition fire on a slew of scams. The unraveling of the railway board posting scam which roped in minister Pawan Kumar Bansal proved a blow from which the ruling party couldn't escape easily.
The BJP accelerated its demands for the Prime Minister's resignation and despite the government's best effort, it could only just about start the discussion on the food Bill.
After today's victory of the Congress in the Karnataka Assembly polls, a buoyant Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, told journalists outside Parliament: "What's the point of shouting and counter-shouting? I think the decision (to adjourn Parliament) was taken this morning...If we cannot pass any legislation... Adjourn." He said the government should not be blamed for this.
Only two Bills were passed in this session, the Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill and the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill.
