The Monsoon session of Parliament, which was a virtual washout, came to an end today, capping the stormy developments it witnessed during the entire four weeks since it began on July 21.
The Lalit Modi controversy and Vyapam scam of Madhya Pradesh dominated the session, resulting in paralysis of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and provoking Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to suspend 25 of the 44 Congress members for five days.
The Speaker's action made several opposition parties join hands with Congress and they collectively boycotted the Lower House of Parliament for five days to show solidarity with the suspended MPs.
Rajya Sabha was a complete washout while Lok Sabha managed to work during Question Hour amid din for a number of days and saw some legislative business in the absence of boycotting opposition parties.
The proceedings in both the Houses were drowned during the entire session in slogan-shouting by Congress members who were pressing for resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje over Lalit Modi controversy and ouster of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over Vyapam scam.
Lok Sabha finally took up a discussion on the Lalit Modi row on the penultimate day yesterday, which saw attacks from both treasury and opposition benches against each other before Congress walked out.
Even today, when the House was adjourned sine die, Congress and a number of other Opposition parties staged a walkout raising a variety of issues, including the demand for the Prime Minister's reply to the charges against Swaraj and Raje and Chouhan.
While adjourning the House sine die, the Speaker referred to her decision to suspend 25 Congress members, saying she was forced to take the "tough action" as "a last resort and a last option".
