New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Thursday, a day ahead of the scheduled end of Parliament’s Winter session that saw a security breach, suspension of over 140 MPs and the expulsion of TMC leader Mahua Moitra in the “bribe-for-query” case.
The session, which began on December 4, saw both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha running largely peacefully for the first week but the scenario changed after December 13.
On the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, two people jumped into the chamber of the Lower House of Parliament from the public gallery during the Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs.
During the session, the Lok Sabha approved some key bills such as those to replace colonial-era laws Indian Penal Code (IPC), Indian Evidence Act, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), Telegraph Act and Press and Registration of Books Act.
These bills were passed by voice vote with almost empty opposition benches in the House. While 100 MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha, another 46 from the Rajya Sabha for unruly behaviour, disrupting proceedings and showing placards and raising slogans over the breach issue.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the House recorded 74 per cent productivity, and 18 draft legislations, including the new criminal justice bills, were passed.
The Winter session also marked the first full-fledged session to be held in the new Parliament building.
In the “bribe-for-query” case, on December 8, a report of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee was tabled in the House.
It recommended the expulsion of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Moitra. Subsequently, a resolution for her expulsion was passed by the Lok Sabha. Moitra was not allowed to speak in the House, and the move saw a united walkout by opposition MPs in solidarity.
The opposition further upped its ante after the December 13 incident. It demanded a discussion on the security breach issue and a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on it. Some opposition members demanded his resignation.
Chaotic scenes were witnessed in both Houses, leading disruption of proceedings and the suspensions.
In Lok Sabha, the first set of suspension of 13 members came on December 14. On December 18, 33 MPs were suspended, on December 19, 49 MPs and on December 20, two MPs. Three members were suspended on Thursday.
While the opposition accused the government of stifling its voice, Speaker Birla wrote to MPs saying the suspensions were not for raising the security breach issue in the Lok Sabha, but for “carrying placards and creating ruckus”.
In his concluding remarks ahead of the adjournment, he said 14 sittings were held and the House worked for 61 hours and 50 minutes.
As many as 18 Bills were passed in the session, including bills like the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second), which will replace the IPC, the CrPC, and the Evidence Act.
A Bill to regulate the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners was also passed.
The Post Office Bill that seeks to repeal the 125-year-old Indian Post Office Act, the Telecommunication Bill which lays provisions that the central government will provide authorisation for telecom-related activities and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill were also approved.
3 fresh suspensions from LS; total number of MPs suspended now 146
Three more opposition members were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Thursday, taking the total number of suspensions from the Lower House of Parliament to a record 100.
With this, the total number of MPs suspended for unruly behaviour from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha stands at an unprecedented 146 since December 14.
In the Lok Sabha, while 97 MPs were suspended for the remainder of the session, three were removed from the services of the House pending a report of the House Privileges Committee. Removal from the services of the House is the official term used for suspension.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die (indefinitely) on Thursday, a day ahead of schedule.
On Thursday, three Congress MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the Winter session for unruly behaviour.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion for the suspension of D K Suresh, Deepak Baij and Nakul Nath.
Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had warned the three MPs against protesting in the House.
The opposition had been seeking a statement in the House by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the December 13 security breach, and disrupting proceedings.
On the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, two men jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors’ gallery and released yellow smoke from canisters they were carrying. They were overpowered by MPs.
The action to suspend opposition MPs drew sharp criticism from the Congress and other parties, which accused the BJP government of trying to bulldoze through key legislations in an “opposition-less” Parliament.
Separately, AAP member Sanjay Singh was suspended as a Rajya Sabha member on July 24.
Amid the string of suspensions, a political row broke out on Tuesday after Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee derisively mimicked Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar during the opposition’s protest on the stairs of Parliament against the MPs’ suspension, drawing strong condemnation from the ruling BJP.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen making a video of the performance by Banerjee who appeared to mimic the way Dhankhar walked by leaning forward and made reference to having a spine.
On Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi in expressing dismay at the incident.
As Dhankhar said in the House on Wednesday that he would not tolerate any insult to Parliament or the constitutional post of vice president, Banerjee said he did not intend to hurt anyone with his act in the Parliament complex.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee backed her party colleague, and the Congress slammed what it termed the government’s “desperate attempt” to divert attention from the unprecedented suspension of MPs by raising the matter.
