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Big-ticket govt reforms, not-so-stiff Opposition resistance: How winter session fared
The session, coinciding with the historic 250th session of the Rajya Sabha, also saw the Lok Sabha working overtime.
The winter session of Parliament concluded on Friday (December 13) after both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die. The session witnessed Narendra Modi government’s push for big-ticket reforms and socially controversial laws with greater momentum even as a fragmented Opposition failed to put up any stiff resistance.
The BJP-led government’s business didn’t falter despite losing arguably the party’s most trusted ally, Shiv Sena, in the wake of the Maharashtra election. Sena, which joined hands with NCP and Congress to form the government, however, didn’t oppose the controversial amendments to the citizenship laws that bars Muslims to three neighbouring countries get Indian citizenship.
The government managed to clear the controversial amendments to the citizenship laws despite widespread protests and anxiety. It brought the Industrial Relations Code that effectively thwarts trade unions and a new law to handle the emerging challenges to personal data protection.
The session, coinciding with the historic 250th session of the Rajya Sabha, also saw the Lok Sabha working overtime - like it did in the budget session. A senior Rajya Sabha official added that the Upper House too, would clock nearly 100 per cent utilisation of its allotted time, a relief from the earlier days when the Upper House wasted opportunities in din and disruptions.
The Upper House also marked a clear shift from the previous years when the Opposition parties had a firm grip and were able to delay or stall the government’s legislative agenda. In its second tenure, the Modi government has been easily able to breach the iron wall, exploiting fault lines in the fragmented Opposition quarters.
The Opposition voiced its concerns and attacked the government during the debates on the state of the economy, the Pegasus spyware issue, the Surrogacy Bill and the citizenship laws. The surrogacy bill and the data protection bill were referred to select committees much to the Opposition’s relief that had protested against the government’s rush to clear bills without scrutiny in the inaugural session of the new Lok Sabha.
