Indication of a stormy budget session of parliament was on the cards as both the ruling and opposition parties benefitted by unexpected developments which increased the political temperature of the country. The opposition was planning to corner the government with the Hindenburg report, which alleged a number of anomalies in the functioning of the Adani Group, reportedly close to the present regime. On the other hand, members of the treasury bench were adamant on seeking an unconditional apology from Congress MP for his ‘democracy in peril’ remark in London. As these two issues generated heat and regular disruption of parliament, the disqualification of the Congress member from Wayanad following a Gujarat court’s judgement finding him guilty in a defamation case, added to the chaos and did not allow the parliament to transact any meaningful business. Even after the abrupt end of the session, the political heat is showing no signs of subsiding and hostile politics is threatening to continue till the next general elections due in May, 2024. If apprehensions become true, the last two sessions of the present Lok Sabha may fail to conduct any business.
In a democracy, the parliament is meant to be a space where representatives of the people gather to discuss important issues related to public interest and introduce laws and policies. Disruptions of parliamentary proceedings is a jolt to both these aspects and harmful for national interest. Thus, it is the duty of both the treasury as well opposition benches to allow the parliament to function smoothly. But it seems no one is interested in normal functioning of both the houses of parliament and disruptions have become a regular feature. Some of the issues which caused disruptions in the parliament in recent times can best be avoided. For instance, there was no need to stall proceedings of the parliament while demanding a probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Hindenburg report. Members mentioning it while making speeches in the house were sufficient to extract a response from the government. Instead, by stalling the house, the opposition allowed the government to evade the answer. Similarly, to prove Rahul Gandhi wrong it was important to allow him to speak on the floor of the house, so that his opponents could pick flaws in his statement and demand adequate measures against him because as per India’s parliamentary practices, the parliament cannot punish a member for a remark made outside the house. These developments clearly show that our lawmakers from both sides failed to gain any political advantage by indulging in sloganeering and shouting inside the house. So, there is an urgent need to take effective steps for seamless functioning of the parliament. The Speaker should convene a meeting of all political parties having presence in the house to suggest ways to deal with the situation to prevent the taxpayers’ money from going to waste and ensure meaningful discussions in the house.
