The Winter Session of Rajya Sabha came to an end today with Chairman Hamid Ansari deploring the members for obstructing the proceedings and calling for an introspection about the relevance of the Question Hour.
"During the entire Session, but for two short notice questions, no starred questions could be answered orally. This compels need for introspection about the relevance of the Question Hour itself," Ansari before he adjourned the House sine die.
The session took place in two parts - the first beginning in December and the other resuming from February 5. In all it had 22 sittings.
"There were no calling attention or short duration discussion. The whole session was marked by persistent obstruction of the proceedings by the members who rushed into the Well and shouted slogans and displayed placards," Ansari said.
The Upper House saw many adjournments during the session mainly because of continuous and vociferous protests by TDP members against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and AIADMK members raising the Tamil fishermen issue among others.
However, Ansari thanked the members for allowing House to transact business in the last few days of the session in which 17 bills were either passed or returned.
