Parliament Monsoon Session: Lok Sabha adjourned sine die amidst disruptions

The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Thursday, drawing curtains on the month-long Monsoon Session with Speaker Om Birla lamenting "planned disruptions" by the Opposition on a daily basis.

After an earlier adjournment at 11 am, the House met again at 12 noon, in which Birla lamented that in the entire session, efforts were made to disrupt the proceedings repeatedly. He said it was time for introspection for all as not much discussion could take place during the month-long session.

The session commenced on July 21, in which the entire Opposition disrupted proceedings daily, seeking a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Birla noted that in the session, 419 starred questions were included in the agenda, but due to "continuous planned disruptions", only 55 questions could be taken up for oral answer.

"We all had decided at the beginning of the session that we would hold discussions for 120 hours in this session. The Business Advisory Committee also agreed to this. But due to continuous deadlock and planned disruptions, we could barely work for 37 hours in this session," he underlined.

Birla said the entire country watches the conduct and functioning of members of Parliament.

"The public has great expectations from us that we have serious and meaningful discussions on their problems and issues of wider public interest, on important bills, in accordance with the decorum of Parliament," he said.

In this session, 14 government Bills, including the ones for the removal of PM, CMs, ministers arrested on serious charges for 30 days, were introduced and 12 Bills were passed. One of the key Bills passed was to ban online money gaming.

Tempers flared, copies of Bills were torn and flung, and members of the ruling and opposition alliances came face-to-face when Home Minister Amit Shah moved to introduce the Bills on the removal of PM, CMs, ministers arrested on serious charges.

On July 28 and 29, a special discussion was held on Operation Sindoor, which concluded with the reply of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On August 18, a special discussion began on the achievements of India's space programme but it remained inconclusive.

Birla lamented that sloganeering, displaying placards and "planned deadlock" in the Lok Sabha or Parliament premises hurts parliamentary decorum.

"The kind of language and conduct seen in this session is not in accordance with the dignity of Parliament. It is the responsibility of all of us to cooperate in building healthy traditions in the House. In this dignified House, we should avoid sloganeering and disruption and take forward serious and meaningful discussions," he said.

After his valedictory address, Birla adjourned the House sine die (for an indefinite period).