The first week of the Parliament Winter Session has been marred by repeated disruptions, with both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha functioning for only limited periods due to protests by opposition parties. The Lok Sabha met for less than an hour, while the Rajya Sabha sat for about 75 minutes. These disruptions were primarily over opposition demands for discussions on several critical issues, including the Adani bribery allegations, violence in Manipur, and unrest in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh.
Both houses were adjourned for the fourth consecutive day on Friday, and Parliament will reconvene next week on December 2.
In Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla expressed concern, stating that the public wanted the House to function, while Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar criticized the protesting members, calling their actions a bad precedent.
The session, which began on Monday, has faced constant adjournments as opposition protests intensified. No business could be conducted on Tuesday due to Constitution Day, and Wednesday’s proceedings were similarly adjourned. Protests continued into Thursday and Friday, as opposition parties, including Congress, demanded discussions on the violence in Manipur and the bribery allegations against the Adani Group. The INDIA alliance has also called for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani allegations.
During the week, only a few questions were addressed in Lok Sabha. A motion for extending the tenure of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Wakf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was passed, but no other business was taken up. The Lok Sabha functioned for just six minutes on Monday, 16 minutes on Wednesday, 14 minutes on Thursday, and 20 minutes on Friday. Rajya Sabha had similarly limited sittings, with the house functioning for 33 minutes on Monday, 13 minutes on Wednesday, 16 minutes on Thursday, and 13 minutes on Friday.
The Congress party has raised questions over the government’s role in the disruptions, with Jairam Ramesh accusing the Modi government of facilitating the aggressive behavior of opposition parties, particularly regarding the Adani issue and the law-and-order situation in Manipur, Sambhal, and Delhi.
