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The furore that met Rajya Sabha Vice Chairman Hamid Ansari’s stern indictment to sloganeering MPs this week, questioning whether the house was descending into a "Federation of Anarchists"; was followed by annoyed MPs demanding that the remark be expunged.
While Ansari has only consented to "review" it, a similar view was echoed a day later by President Pranab Mukherjee in his address to the nation. He observed that the Parliament increasingly resembles "a combat arena" rather than a legislative forum.
The successive indictments of both constitutional authorities, however is not without reason.
In the ongoing 16 day Monsoon session, the Government had allocated 30 bills to be passed. Now more than half way through the session, only two bills have been cleared till date. The Companies bill and the National Highway Authority Amendment bill 2013.
Entire working days in both houses have fallen prey to disruptions on Telangana, on Kishtwar, on firing across the LoC. Infact, the much hyped Food Security bill, the UPA’s “gamechanger” could not be taken up, due to disruptions caused by TDP members over Telangana.
The treasury benches too, have also resorted to shouting matches whenever "uncomfortable" issues like the Robert Vadra land deals one, have been raised by the Opposition.
Significantly the Congress led UPA was keen to launch the Food Security scheme in several states including Delhi on August 20, coinciding with Rajiv Gandhi's birthday.
With August 19th likely to see no business being transacted as a mark of respect for BJP MP Dilip Singh Judeo who expired this week, August 20th would be a holiday for Raksha bandhan.
“It is highly unlikely that the Food bill will be passed by August 20th,” says PRS Legislative Research’s MR Madhavan. However, Madhavan explains that the government would still manage to introduce the scheme in states if it wants to as the Food Security ordinance is still active. The ordinance would expire in September.
Other crucial bills such as the Pension bill has been deferred and the Land bill is yet to be taken up for discussion. With just eight more days to go for this session, it is unlikely that this heavy legislative business will be cleared.
For the Congress the situation is a desperate one.
